Description
Are your housing programs accessible to those with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)? LEP persons are defined as individuals who, as a result of national origin, do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to speak, read, write, or understand English. Executive Order (EO) 13166 required HUD to work to ensure that LEP individuals can effectively participate in, or benefit from, federally assisted housing programs. In the spirit of this Executive Order, HUD issued “Final Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons” to assist owners in providing meaningful access to their programs to LEP individuals.
This guidance states that owners must develop a Language Access Plan (LAP) to ensure access for those individuals. Before developing the Language Access Plan (LAP), you must first identify your property’s specific LEP need(s). PMCS’ Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Policy provides your staff with a standard procedure to follow to identify and analyze this information on a routine basis. Once this analysis is complete, you can create a customized LAP for your property. Need help with this final step? PMCS can provide additional assistance in the development of a customized LAP under our General Consulting Agreement.