The Fair Housing Resource Center evolved out of the working relationship between the 12-year old non-profit organization known as the Lake County Community Housing Resource Board and the Lake County Fair Housing Office. The former administered a HUD grant for education and outreach programs. The Board of Lake County Commissioners, through administrative funds of the Community Development Block Grant program, funded the latter.

The Lake County Community Resource Board was formed on November 3, 1987 as a non-profit organization that conducted limited outreach and education activities. Their activities included fair housing training for real estate professionals with the Lake County Association of Realtors, fair housing and landlord tenant law training for property managers and owners, an annual poster contest at local schools and home buyer seminars for low and moderate income first time buyers.

The Lake County Fair Housing Office promoted and enforced the understanding of compliance with Federal and State fair housing laws. The staff investigated and assisted persons who wished to file discrimination complaints through an administrative process (HUD/OCRC) or through the federal or state court system.

In 1989, the two groups merged as a result of the recommendations by the Fair Housing Impediments Analysis.They felt a central, coordinating center to serve all fair housing complaints, intake, and investigative services would be more effective in meeting the community’s fair housing needs.

The merger resulted in a name change to the Fair Housing Resource Center, Inc. which has continued the work of both organizations since 1999. It’s been twenty-three years since the two entities began providing services to the county, and the organization continues to grow and evolve to guarantee all people equal access to housing opportunities. FHRC has established an impressive record of accomplishments and assumed a prominent leadership role to create and maintain racially and economically integrated housing patterns.