BATON ROUGE, La. – April 9, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) is recognizing April as Fair Housing Month with a series of workshops to educate the public and providers of housing and housing-related services about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act. The LHC Board of Directors officially declared April 2015 as Fair Housing Month by passing a unanimous resolution at its April 8 meeting.
“Each April, we are provided an opportunity to increase awareness about the law and renew our commitment to furthering Fair Housing in Louisiana,” said Mayson Foster, Chairman of the LHC Board. “This is especially important because some of the most common Fair Housing violations occur due to a lack of awareness of the law.”
The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate in the sale or rental of housing based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status or disability. This year, LHC is partnering with the Louisiana Department of Justice to provide workshops on Fair Housing issues for renters, landlords, realtors, contractors and the general public.
“Statistics show that, across the country, discriminatory practices related to disability are on the rise,” said LHC Executive Director Frederick Tombar, III. “This training will provide a great overview of the Fair Housing Act, which in turn will enable realtors, developers, owners and property managers to provide safe, decent, affordable and accessible housing throughout the state without barriers or restrictions.”
Fair Housing Month workshops include:
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Fair Housing and Accessibility and Design Training
West Monroe Convention Center
901 Ridge Avenue
West Monroe, LA 71291
Thursday, April 16, 2015
1:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Fair Housing and Accessibility and Design Training
North West Louisiana Association of Realtors
2036 East 70th Street
Shreveport, LA 71105
Thursday, April 23, 2015
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Fair Housing and Accessibility and Design Training
Hammond City Council Chambers
310 East Charles Street
Hammond, LA 70401
Friday, April 24, 2015
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Fair Housing Workshop for Hispanic Population
St. Pius X Catholic Church
6380 Hooper Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70811
Thursday, April 30, 2015
4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Fair Housing and Accessibility and Design Training
Victory Praise and Worship Center
Fellowship Center
479 Taylor Road
Minden, LA 71055
The Fair Housing workshops are free and open to the public. No RSVPs are required. For more information, contact Rose Hampton in the Attorney General’s Fair Housing Section at 1-800-273-5718 or hamptonr (at) ag.state.la (dot) us.
About Fair Housing Month
April is designated Fair Housing Month by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO). The FHEO administers federal laws and establishes national policies that all Americans have access to the housing of their choice.
For more information about Fair Housing, visit www.lhc.la.gov and click Fair Housing on the homepage. The LHC also operates a toll-free hotline at 1-888-454-2001 and posts program news onFacebook and Twitter.
