In addition to the definitions that appear at section 802 of title VIII (42 U.S.C. 3602), the following definitions apply to this part:

Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Expert witness means a person who testifies, or who would have testified but for a resolution of the case before a verdict is entered, and who qualifies as an expert witness under the rules of the court where the litigation funded by this part is brought.

Fair housing enforcement organization (FHO) means any organization, whether or not it is solely engaged in fair housing enforcement activities, that—

(1) Is organized as a private, tax-exempt, nonprofit, charitable organization;

(2) Is currently engaged in complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations and enforcement of meritorious claims; and

(3) Upon the receipt of FHIP funds will continue to be engaged in complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations and enforcement of meritorious claims.

The Department may request an organization to submit documentation to support its claimed status as an FHO.

FHIP means the Fair Housing Initiatives Program authorized by section 561 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C. 3616 note).

Meritorious claims means enforcement activities by an organization that resulted in lawsuits, consent decrees, legal settlements, HUD and/or substantially equivalent agency (under 24 CFR 115.6) conciliations and organization initiated settlements with the outcome of monetary awards for compensatory and/or punitive damages to plaintiffs or complaining parties, or other affirmative relief, including the provision of housing.

Qualified fair housing enforcement organization (QFHO) means any organization, whether or not it is solely engaged in fair housing enforcement activities, that—

(1) Is organized as a private, tax-exempt, nonprofit, charitable organization;

(2) Has at least 2 years experience in complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations and enforcement of meritorious claims; and

(3) Is engaged in complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations and enforcement of meritorious claims at the time of application for FHIP assistance.

For the purpose of meeting the 2-year qualification period for the activities included in paragraph (2) of this definition, it is not necessary that the activities were conducted simultaneously, as long as each activity was conducted for 2 years. It is also not necessary for the activities to have been conducted for 2 consecutive or continuous years. An organization may aggregate its experience in each activity over the 3 year period preceding its application to meet the 2-year qualification period requirement.

The Department may request an organization to submit documentation to support its claimed status as a QFHO.

Title VIII means title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended (42 U.S.C. 3600-3620), commonly cited as the Fair Housing Act.

[60 FR 58452, Nov. 27, 1995, as amended at 61 FR 5206, Feb. 9, 1996]