HUD expands multilingual Web site

Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) officials have revamped an agency Web site to be more accessible to non-English readers by providing HUD documents in 12 languages other than English, according to an department announcement.

The expanded Limited English Proficiency Web site features fact sheets, housing brochures and other forms in English, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Chinese, Farsi, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, according to HUD.

The site offers brochures on fair housing, model lease agreements, HUD's Housing Choice Voucher program, and resident rights and responsibilities in the various languages, HUD officials said June 17.

The Web site is in response to Executive Order 13166, which requires all federal, local and state agencies that receive federal funding to ensure that people with limited language skills have meaningful access to government programs and services, HUD officials said.