$20,000 Awarded for Outreach Materials and Technology Efficiencies

Columbus, OH, October 5, 2007 — Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher today announced that a partnership between Vinton and Jackson Counties will receive a $20,000 grant to assist with fair housing efforts. The funds will be awarded through the New Horizons Fair Housing Assistance Program, administered by the Ohio Department of Development.

“By working together to combine resources and reach a larger audience, Vinton and Jackson Counties are serving as a model for collaboration and efficient service delivery,” said Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, who also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Development. “The New Horizons Fair Housing Assistance Program helps provide the necessary resources to local communities, like Vinton and Jackson Counties, ensuring that all residents have access to fair and affordable housing.”

Vinton and Jackson Counties will use the funds to create a centralized, two-county clearinghouse of fair housing information and referrals for special needs populations, such as the elderly, disabled, and potentially homeless individuals and families, through the creation of a new Web site and other technological enhancements. In addition, the Counties will develop public service announcements and distribute educational materials and fair housing training information.

The New Horizons Fair Housing Program, funded with Ohio Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program dollars, provides local governments with funds to affirmatively advance fair housing opportunities. Affirmative fair housing strategies are designed to address locally assessed needs and commitments, while advancing the State’s fair housing and economic development goals.