This year’s April Fair Housing Month was full of community and creative activities. Nearly 1,000 people participated in virtual workshops, community conversations via Zoom, Fair Housing Friday discussions, and art projects. The Governor of Vermont, along with the Burlington Mayor and Montpelier City Council, made fair housing proclamations, and there was a Vermont House/Senate concurrent resolution recognizing April 2021 as Fair Housing Month.
Here’s an overview of the month’s activities and links to more information:
- ART: The HeART & Home Community Art Project included home-based activities and youth workshops at ONE Arts Center in Burlington and T.W. Wood Gallery in Montpelier.
- LIBRARY EVENTS: The state’s libraries are essential centers of our communities, providing physical and virtual spaces for information, support, and connections. Thanks to a new Fair Housing Month partnership with the Vermont Department of Libraries and the Vermont Library Association, children and adults from all over the state took part in StoryWalks, expanded their awareness through the Beanstack Fair Housing Reading Challenge, and joined Fair Housing book and film groups and community discussions. These rich conversations went far beyond the basics of fair housing and covered ways to make our towns and cities more welcoming, issues related to housing access and homelessness, and how to address community housing needs.
- ONGOING: See the Fair Housing resources for libraries, including a reading list, here and check out the Vermont Library Association’s upcoming Annual Conference (May 25-27 & June 1-2), which features several sessions on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Keynote speakers include Emily Bernard, UVM professor and author of several books, including the award-winning “Black is the Body: Stories from My Grandmother’s Time, My Mother’s Time, and Mine,” and Ryan Dowd, author of “The Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness: An Empathy-Driven Approach to Solving Problems, Preventing Conflict, and Serving Everyone.”
- WORKSHOPS: The workshops offered deep dives into discrimination and equity with opportunities for the general public, landlords, and municipal officials to learn about fair housing rights and responsibilities and discuss issues related to harassment and hate crimes. The workshop on Voucher Discrimination was recorded and available here. We are grateful for this year’s workshop partners: Vermont Legal Aid, Vermont Human Rights Commission, Vermont Landlord Association, VT Department of Housing and Community Development, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Vermont.
- FAIR HOUSING FRIDAYS: These discussion-based sessions brought together housing experts, legislators, and community members to discuss issues such as the Community Impacts of Racial Discrimination, Equity and Choice, and the Changing Realities of Housing after COVID. (See links to the recordings below.)
The Fair Housing Act, passed in April 1968, put into law critical protections against discrimination and harassment in housing and sought to repair and redress historical patterns of housing segregation. April was a time to celebrate these protections and highlight the positive and essential role that affordable, inclusive housing plays in our communities. However, it’s important to recognize that exclusion and discrimination still exist in Vermont and that we must continue the fight to ensure that everyone has access to safe, stable, and affordable homes, free from discrimination, exclusion, and harassment.
Where we live matters – it’s connected to how we get to work, access healthcare, where our children go to school, and our physical environment. Stable, safe, and affordable homes provide the foundation for vibrant and thriving communities and there is a strong correlation between housing opportunity and health disparities, especially for people of color and others who experience discrimination. This has been especially relevant during the pandemic and we will continue to see these inequities as pandemic-related housing supports are reduced.
Fair Housing Fridays:
April 23, 2021 – Changing Realities of Housing after COVID with Vermont State Senator Kesha Ram, Seth Leonard of Vermont Housing Finance Agency, and Shaun Gilpin of the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, facilitated by Brian Pine of the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition.
*CLICK HERE to see the video*
April 16, 2021 – Equity and Choice in Vermont Housing with Vermont State Representative Brian Cina, VT Human Rights Commission Director Bor Yang, and Dalib Bulle from the CVOEO Community Ambassador Program. Panelists will focus on challenges to housing equity and mobility in Vermont, current policy proposals to remedy inequity, and creative solutions from around the country.
*CLICK HERE to see the video*
April 9, 2021 – Racial Discrimination & Community Impacts with Minelle Sarfo-Adu, a High School Junior at Big Picture South Burlington (BPSB). This informative presentation includes barriers to equal opportunity in housing with a focus on the reality that there is still housing discrimination in housing, how to recognize it, and steps toward individual and community solutions.
*CLICK HERE to see the video*
April 2, 2021 – Fair Housing Month Kick Off with Jess Hyman, Corrine Yonce, and Shiferaw Gemeda of the CVOEO Fair Housing Project and Johnathan Clark of the Vermont Department of Libraries. Learn about activities and events around the state, including the HeART & Home Community Art Project, online workshops, community discussions, library events, and more. Let’s celebrate inclusive communities and take a stand against housing discrimination!
*CLICK HERE to see the video*
What is Fair Housing?
Fair Housing is the right to equal opportunity in housing choice and the right to rent, buy, or live in a dwelling free from discrimination. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and family status. Vermont has additional protections based on age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, receipt of public assistance, being a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and denial of development permitting based on the income of prospective residents. For more information about fair housing in Vermont, visit www.cvoeo.org/FHP, call 802-660-3456 x 106, or email fhp@cvoeo.org.
Thank you to our Fair Housing Month Partners!
The Fair Housing Project of CVOEO coordinates April Fair Housing Month activities in collaboration with Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Library Association, ONE Arts Center, Vermont Legal Aid, Vermont Human Rights Commission, VT Department of Housing and Community Development, and other partners. These activities are made possible with the support of the Champions of Affordable Inclusive Housing and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Library activities are supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency, through the Library Service and Technology Act as administered by the Vermont Department of Libraries.