TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A local organization that fights to protect people from housing discrimination just lost an important stream of funding. But just in time, another local foundation came through with a grant that can bridge the gap for The Fair Housing Center to keep things running as they are for a few more months.

“Your civil rights, they really only have meaning if there are people who can enforce them and help you with investigating potential violations of those rights,” said George Thomas, CEO and General Counsel of The Fair Housing Center.

That is the purpose of The Fair Housing Center, which was established in 1975. But now, Thomas says a crucial pipeline of federal funding ended in June, and that puts The Fair Housing Center’s work in jeopardy.

“Questions have come up about do we want to have these basic civil rights for Americans? Do we want to have programs like The Fair Housing Center?” said Thomas.

Thomas says federal money is this organization’s largest funding source. He says without it, he will have to make some cuts and he believes that could mean taking a step backward for local residents.

“Otherwise, those civil rights laws are really just words on paper,” said Thomas.

The Fair Housing Center has already re-applied for more federal funds, but they won’t know if they get that money until November. To cover that gap, the organization learned last month that it was awarded a $100,000 grant from Toledo’s John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation, which funds nonprofits that address critical needs in the community.

“There’s still quite a bit of discrimination in the housing market, and it really requires investigation and work from our team to uncover that,” said Thomas. “So our team members are able to continue that work with this grant.”

https://www.13abc.com/2025/09/09/fair-housing-center-receives-grant-amid-federal-funding-cuts/