<P> The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development is the federal executive department with the statutory authority to administer and enforce the Fair Housing Act . The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development has delegated fair housing enforcement and compliance activities to HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) and HUD's Office of General Counsel . FHEO is one of the United States' largest federal civil rights agencies . It has a staff of more than 600 people located in 54 offices around the United States . As of August 2017, the head of FHEO is Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Anna Maria Farias, whose appointment was confirmed on August 3, 2017 . </P> <P> Individuals who believe they have experienced housing discrimination can file a complaint with FHEO at no charge . FHEO funds and has working agreements with many state and local governmental agencies where "substantially equivalent" fair housing laws are in place . Under these agreements, FHEO refers complaints to the state or locality where the alleged incident occurred, and those agencies investigate and process the case instead of FHEO . This is known as FHEO's Fair Housing Assistance Program (or "FHAP"). </P> <P> There is also a network of private, non-profit fair housing advocacy organizations throughout the country . Some are funded by FHEO's Fair Housing Initiatives Program (or "FHIP"), and some operate with private donations or grants from other sources . </P> <P> Victims of housing discrimination need not go through HUD or any other governmental agency to pursue their rights, however . The Fair Housing Act confers jurisdiction to hear cases on federal district courts . The United States Department of Justice also has jurisdiction to file cases on behalf of the United States where there is a pattern and practice of discrimination or where HUD has found discrimination in a case and either party elects to go to federal court instead of continuing in the HUD administrative process . </P>

Who has been given the responsibility of enforcing the federal fair housing laws