Category Archives: affirmatively furthering fair housing

Join us for the last week of Fair Housing Month events!

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It’s been a busy and fun month so far with thought-provoking Fair Housing Friday webinars, community Know Your Rights workshops, more than 1,000 art kits distributed through libraries and housing sites across the state, and more. We’re also collaborating with the City of Burlington’s Community & Economic Development Office to distribute more art kits, along with free books on issues of housing and homelessness.

Yesterday’s Fair Housing Month event at Champlain Street Park in Burlington combined park clean-up, art, and neighborhood connections with inspiring words about housing equity, environmental justice, and community from CVOEO, Burlington’s Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion & Belonging and Parks & Recreation Department, and reps from our congressional delegation. See some of the news coverage here: https://www.mynbc5.com/article/burlington-community-members-clean-up-parks-to-help-promote-equitable-housing/43647899

Also yesterday, a sweet HeART & Home activity hosted by the Groton Public Library and RuralEdge brought together a small group of elementary school students and seniors to make art related to home and community.

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Here’s a sampling of what’s coming up next – please join us!

  • THURSDAY 4/20 is a conversation about the connections between public spaces, art, and home at the opening reception for CVOEO Fair Housing Project staffer and artist Corrine Yonce’s “Longing Is Just a Word for Knowing” exhibit at King Street Laundromat, 3-6pm at 72 King St.
  • FRIDAY 4/21 is the last Fair Housing Friday webinar, Visions of Home: Broadening the Way We Envision Home and Community, 12:30-1:30pm via Zoom. REGISTER HERE
  • NEXT WEEK, there will be two more in-person events in Burlington:
  • PARTNER EVENTS ALL OVER VERMONT – Details at https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/event-calendar:
    • Friday 4/21: Fair Housing Feedback at Bradford Public Library with DHCD
    • Friday 4/21: Homes for Hartford Paint & Sip hosted by Junction Arts & Media
    • Monday 4/24: Bellows Falls Garage Affordable Housing Opening with Windham & Windsor Housing Trust
    • Tuesday 4/25: HeART & Home Exhibit Reception at Bent Northrop Library in Fairfield
    • Wednesday 4/26: Finding Home Drop-in Watercolor at South Burlington Public Library with Art Show Reception Saturday 4/29
    • Friday 4/28: Fair Housing Feedback at Brownell Library in Essex with DHCD.
    • Saturday 4/29: BIPOC Centered Homebuyer Group with The Root and Windham & Windsor Housing Trust
    • Wednesday 5/3: Affordable Housing Discussion inspired by the book Fixer Upper: How to Repair America’s Broken Housing  System hosted by South Burlington Public Library, South Burlington Affordable Housing Committee, and CVOEO
    • Wednesday 5/3: Fair Housing Feedback at Bennington Free Library with DHCD.
About Fair Housing Month 

Each April we celebrate the 1968 passage of the Fair Housing Act with a series of free public education and art events to raise awareness about the importance of equal access to housing, free from discrimination, and the positive role that inclusive, affordable housing plays in thriving communities. Virtual and in-person activities include workshops, community discussions, presentations, library events, and the all-ages HeART & Home Community Art Project. 

Fair Housing is the right to equal opportunity in housing choice and the right to rent or buy 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 or email fhp@cvoeo.org.

The Fair Housing Project of CVOEO coordinates April Fair Housing Month activities in collaboration with a statewide network of housing, community, and arts partners, including Burlington City Arts, Burlington Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO), Burlington Office of Racial Equity Inclusion and Belonging (REIB), Junction Arts Media, ONE Arts, Randolph Community Development Corporation, RuralEdge, Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Human Rights Commission, Vermont Legal Aid, Vital Communities, and White River Valley Consortium. These activities are made possible through the generous sponsorship of Farrell Properties, CEDO, REIB, Champlain Housing Trust, Redstone,  Vermont State Housing Authority, Evernorth, Main Street Landing, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, Cathedral Square, and Pomerleau Real Estate.

 

April is Fair Housing Month – Statewide Events Celebrate Home & Community!

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Each April we celebrate the 1968 passage of the Fair Housing Act with a series of free public education and art events to raise awareness about the importance of equal access to housing, free from discrimination, and the positive role that inclusive, affordable housing plays in thriving communities. Virtual and in-person activities include workshops, community discussions, presentations, library events, and the all-ages HeART & Home Community Art Project.

Here’s a sampling of this year’s statewide events. For full schedule and details visit https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/event-calendar.

  • BURLINGTON IN-PERSON EVENTS: Champlain Street Park Community Action Day 11am-2pm April 19 – park clean up, activities and lunch; “Longing Is Just a Word for Knowing” – art opening, conversation, refreshments 3-6pm April 20; “Vocabulary of Home: A Conversation on How We Talk About Housing”- 6-7:30pm April 26; Main Street Landing movie night, April 28.
  • EXHIBITS: “Redlining Our Souls” at Junction Arts Media in White River Junction, “Home and How We Make It” at River Arts in Morrisville, “Longing Is Just a Word for Knowing” at King Street Laundry in Burlington, and a Fair Housing Month display at Burlington City Hall.
  • FAIR HOUSING FRIDAYS: Informational, interactive sessions hosted by the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO with guests from communities and organizations around the state, 12:30pm, April 7, 14, and 21 via Zoom.
  • TENANTS RIGHTS & FAIR HOUSING WORKSHOPS: Opportunities for the general public, housing and service providers, landlords, and others to learn about fair housing and renters’ rights and responsibilities and discuss current issues. In-person and virtual sessions in Burlington, Groton, Lyndonville, South Burlington, Winooski, and White River Junction.
  • LIBRARY ACTIVITIES: Book discussions, StoryWalks®, art activities, Fair Housing drop-in sessions with the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, and other community events at participating libraries all over the state in partnership with the VT Department of Libraries.
  • HeART & HOME COMMUNITY ART PROJECT: Art activities and exhibits at libraries and housing and community sites. It’s easy to join this all-ages art project! 1) Pick up an art kit at CVOEO or participating sites or download the creative prompts and use your own materials; 2) Create a drawing, collage, painting, photo, sculpture, comic, or any other type of art; and 3) Share a photo of your creation to be added to the online community gallery and be entered in a prize drawing. Send photos to fhp@cvoeo.org.

Fair Housing is the right to equal opportunity in housing choice and the right to rent or buy 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 or email fhp@cvoeo.org.

The Fair Housing Project of CVOEO coordinates April Fair Housing Month activities in collaboration with a statewide network of housing, community, and arts partners, including Burlington City Arts, Burlington Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO), Burlington Office of Racial Equity Inclusion and Belonging (REIB), Junction Arts Media, ONE Arts, Randolph Community Development Corporation, RuralEdge, Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Human Rights Commission, Vermont Legal Aid, Vital Communities, and White River Valley Consortium. These activities are made possible through the generous sponsorship of Farrell Properties, CEDO, REIB, Champlain Housing Trust, Redstone,  Vermont State Housing Authority, Evernorth, Main Street Landing, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, Cathedral Square, and Pomerleau Real Estate.

VT Statewide Housing Conference is back!

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“What YOU can do to solve the housing crisis” -> Session proposals due June 30

Guest blog post by Leslie Black-Plumeau, Vermont Housing Finance Agency
 

Housing conference logoOn behalf of the Vermont Statewide Housing Conference Planning Committee, VHFA is seeking proposals for sessions at the 2022 Statewide Housing Conference, to be held on Wednesday, Nov. 16 in Burlington.  For decades, this biennial conference has brought together practitioners, community members and policy leaders to nurture connection and innovation. 

This year’s conference theme is “What YOU can do to solve the housing crisis.” The conference planning committee is inviting the housing community to submit proposals for sessions at the conference that speak to this theme. If you have an idea for a session you would like to facilitate at this year’s conference, please submit a brief description of the session and answer a few questions about it by completing the short web-based form.  

Conference organizers hope to offer a wide range of session formats, including non-traditional approaches that make build off of the conference’s in-person nature and make creative use of technology and other mediums to engage attendees. Here are a few session topic examples:  

  • Voices of Vermonters with lived experiences that reflect the diversity of our state 
  • Ways to combat the housing crisis through direct local levers and partnerships  
  • Systems for turning ideas and inspiration into personal action 
  • Impact on affordability and CO2 emissions of municipal housing development requirements  

Proposals will be accepted through June 30, 2022. Please direct any questions to conference@vhfa.org. 

Fair Housing Month Recap:

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Thank you for celebrating Fair Housing Month this past April with the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO and statewide partners. This year’s Fair Housing Month was full of community and creative activities all over the state. More than 1,800  people participated in virtual workshops, community conversations via Zoom, Fair Housing Friday discussions, art projects, and other events. These activities went far beyond the basics of fair housing and included discussion on ways to make our towns and cities more welcoming, issues related to housing access and homelessness, and how to address community housing needs. 

Here’s an overview of the month’s activities and links to event recordings, and more information:

  • ART: A new partnership with Arts So Wonderful brought Fair Housing curriculum to its youth-lead Youth On Boards event, and invited artists to depict their visions of thriving inclusive communities through visual art, poetry, and music. You can check out their submissions here. And congratulations to Norzin Mentsang, Celeste Forcier and Brynn Barrett, the first, second and third prize winners for the art contest! 
  • The HeART & Home Community Art Project included home-based activities that communities and families participated in across the state.
    • 26 libraries and 14 housing and community sites distributed nearly 1,000 art kits containing watercolor paints and brushes, collage cut-outs, thoughtful prompts, and fair housing resources. 
    • The Bent Northrop Memorial Library partnered  with the Fairfield Center School and the Northwest Regional Planning Commission to distribute art kits and host an exhibit at art reception at the library. You can view some photos of the more than 50 pieces of art on display at the library here!
    • In partnership with the Vermont Garden Network, we provided HeART & Home art kits  to the community of South Meadow (an affordable housing site off of Pine Street in Burlington), where residents and volunteers were building a natural playscape. Families and children took  breaks from the project  to reflect on home and housing through art.
    • CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project displayed newly designed panels featuring updated protected class iconography, ways to become an advocate, and a brief history of Fair Housing at Burlington City Hall. You can see these panels (with original art by Corrine Yonce) here. 
  • LIBRARY EVENTS: We again partnered with the Vermont Department of Libraries to bring Fair Housing curriculum across the state. Libraries are essential centers of our communities, providing physical and virtual spaces for information, support, and connections. In addition to accessing art kits, children and adults from all over the state took part in StoryWalks and joined Fair Housing book groups, including Story Boat by Kyo Maclear, Evicted by Matthew Desmond, and Race for Profit by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. 
    • CVOEO also facilitated the continuation of the Vermont Department of Library housing discussion series, joined by the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition,  the Vermont Human Rights Commission, and Vermont Legal Aid to discuss housing justice, the how the state is addressing the current housing crisis, and how librarians can best connect people who are experiencing evictions to local and statewide resources and service. Watch the recording and access the resources here.
    • ONGOING: See the Fair Housing resources for libraries, including a reading list, here 
  • WORKSHOPS: An assortment of 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. 
  • FAIR HOUSING FRIDAYS: These sessions are discussions among affordable housing advocates, community leaders, policymakers, and service providers about housing inclusivity. The interactive conversations provide a space to reflect on what we are doing in our community that is working to further housing equity and what policies out there might we consider to do better as housing experts, legislators, advocates, and community members. This year’s topics were Is Building More the Cure?, The Opportunities and Challenges of Mobile Home Communities, and Why Aren’t We Building the Housing We Need? Watch the recording here.
  • VERMONT AFFORDABLE HOUSING COALITION EVENTS:
    • VAHC April Community Meeting Community Meeting: #Housed802 meetings are an opportunity for VAHC to facilitate a discussion with community members about legislative opportunities to advocate for affordable, inclusive housing. You can find the recording here.
    • In the House: In this episode of the monthly VAHC hosted conversation, VAHC Director David Martins has a conversation with Jess Hyman from CVOEO about Fair Housing Month: What is it? Where does it come from? What does it have to do with Vermonters in 2022? You can find the recording here. 

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. 

 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 and Sponsors!

Fair Housing Month activities in Vermont are coordinated by the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO, in collaboration with Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Library Association, ONE Arts Center, Arts So Wonderful, Burlington City Arts, Vermont Legal Aid, Vermont Human Rights Commission,

Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, CEDO, Vermont Garden Network, and other partners. 

These activities are made possible with the support of 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.

We are grateful to these “Champions of Affordable, Inclusive Housing” event sponsors: Farrell Properties, Vermont State Housing Authority, Redstone, Main Street Landing, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Evernorth, Cathedral Square, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, and Pomerleau Real Estate. 

Fair Housing Friday: “Is Building More the Cure?”

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Our last #FairHousingFriday of Fair Housing Month 2022 left us with a lot to consider. Featuring Bor Yang, Executive Director of the VT Human Rights Commission; Owiso Makuku, CEO of Main Street Landing and VT Affordable Housing Coalition Steering Committee Member; and Elizabeth Bridgewater, Executive Director of Windham & Windsor Housing Trust, we discussed how relying on development alone won’t ensure housing opportunities for the communities with the greatest housing needs in Vermont. This conversation highlighted how housing opportunities are not equally accessible to all low-income Vermonters and presenters shared tools and policy ideas that could be considered to ensure housing equity and housing opportunities for our most vulnerable Vermonters

We heard from panelists about how climate migration – still lead predominately by people with the resources to move- is already impacting housing opportunities for potential first-time home buyers across the state, especially in Southern Vermont. We also heard about how employers are taking on the burden of finding housing for their employees in an effort to meet their workforce needs. Of the tools listed to further equitable housing opportunities, panelists pointed to zoning reforms like inclusionary zoning policies, critical looks at minimum lot sizes and how that curbs what kind of housing is developed, and allowing for more multi-family housing such as duplexed, triplexes, and larger apartment developments. Also highlighted was the need to modernize municipal bylaws that could inadvertently be posing barriers to developing in communities across Vermont.

Unfortunately, audience members are left with the knowledge that often it is the vocal minority that gets in the way of developing new affordable housing, and that housing discrimination continues to impact communities of color, new Americans, folks with disabilities, and renters with children on a wide scale. And discrimination is challenging to track as it is so hard to report, and those with the greatest housing needs may not know their rights, but often are so taxed by trying to meet their own housing needs that they are unable to report the discrimination they face. We are left with the with the responsibility to mobilize in our own communities to consider our regional housing equity gaps, and advocate for policies that not only encourage more housing development, but ensures that housing meets the needs of our community members who are most often overlooked and left behind from the housing conversation.

If you missed it, find the full recording below: 

Resources shared as a part of this Fair Housing Friday:

To learn more about Fair Housing Month and upcoming activities: https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/

To learn more and get help: https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/fair-housing-and-discrimination

Our free Vermont Tenants workshops:
https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/vermont-tenants-rights-and-resources

More information about the Human Rights Commission:
https://hrc.vermont.gov/

Vermont Housing Finance Agency on Home Ownership for BIPOC Vermonters https://vhfa.org/news/blog/future-strategies-promote-homeownership-opportunity-bipoc-vermonters

Vermont Housing Finance Agency on Understanding VT’s Vacant Homes: https://vhfa.org/news/blog/future-strategies-promote-homeownership-opportunity-bipoc-vermonters

Bylaw Mondernization Grants : https://accd.vermont.gov/content/bylaw-modernization-grants

Conversation with Elizabeth Bridgewater and Gus Seelig Addressing the Roots of Our Current Housing Crisis : https://vtdigger.org/2022/04/17/vermont-conversation-the-roots-and-way-out-of-vermonts-housing-crisis/

Stay tuned for our Fair Housing Month wrap up, and remember, these conversation MUST continue throughout the year. Thank you for joining us, and please stay in touch.

Fair Housing Friday: “Unique Challenges and Opportunities of Mobile Home Parks”

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Our second #FairHousingFriday of the month was a fantastic hit! Hosted by Nate Lantieri of CVOEO’s Mobile Home Program, panelists included Kelly Hamshaw, Senior Lecturer at UVM Dept. of Community Development & Applied Economics; Gayle Pezzo, Board President of Westbury Homeowners Association; and Elise Shanbacker, ED of Addison County Community Trust.

Panelists covered a extensive array of topics in a short amount of time, from the challenges of financing infrastructure updates for mobile home communities, the challenges community members encounter with funding basic park maintenance such a plowing, and the unique ways mobile home communities are impacted by climate change.

We ended on a powerful message from Gayle Pezzo, Board President of the Westbury Homeowners Association in Colchester, VT. Gayle spoke to the ways a mobile home community uniquely met her needs as a retired, single person, and how joining the Westbury Homeowners Association board necessitated a level of civic engagement she did not anticipate as she advocated for her community to access municipal resources. At the conclusion of the conversation, Gayle pointed out the shift in language from “trailer park” to “mobile home community” had a powerful impact on the way mobile home communities are viewed, and her own connection to her neighborhood.

If you missed it, find the full recording below: 

Resources shared as a part of this Fair Housing Friday:

To learn more about Fair Housing Month and upcoming activities: https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/

To learn more and get help: https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/fair-housing-and-discrimination

Our free Vermont Tenants workshops:
https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/vermont-tenants-rights-and-resources

Resources available from USDA Rural Development here in Vermont : https://www.rd.usda.gov/vt

More resources for Mobile Home Parks through CVOEO: https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/mobile-home-park-rights-and-resources

The Cooperative Development Institute (CDI) : https://cdi.coop/

Do NOT Miss Our Final Fair Housing Friday!

Friday, April April 29th 12:30 – 1:30 PM: “Is Building More the Cure?”

In this final Fair Housing Friday for Fair Housing Month, we will discuss how relying on development alone won’t ensure housing opportunities for the communities with the greatest housing needs in Vermont. Featuring Bor Yang, Executive Director of the VT Human Rights Commission; Owiso Makuku, CEO of Main Street Landing and VT Affordable Housing Coalition Steering Committee Member; and Elizabeth Bridgewater, Executive Director of Windham & Windsor Housing Trust.

And coming up this week:

  • Arts So Wonderful Art opening at the South Burlington University Mall! Friday April 29th from 4pm to 7 pm, or alternative dates at request. Read the full Call to Artists here

TONIGHT – Tuesday, April 26th:

Throughout the month of April:

Fair Housing Friday: “Why Aren’t We Building the Housing We Need?”

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Our first #FairHousingFriday of the month happened last week! Featuring Katherine “Deac” Decarreau, Executive Director of the Winooski Housing Authority, Nate Besio, Peer Advocate Counselor Coordinator at Vermont Center for Independent Living, Carol Jaramillo, Community Builder Northgate Apartments, and Bhagawat Pudyel from the Financial Futures Community Ambassador Program at CVOEO, this conversation focused on the barriers to housing development, what kind of housing we are building, and why (or why not) the housing we are developing meets the needs of our most vulnerable community members.

In this rich conversation on housing, we heard about barriers our current available housing poses to folks who fall into Fair Housing protected classes, such as families who rent, folks with mobility needs, and New Americans. We also discussed solutions advocates would like to see implemented, like housing opportunities for folks who are recovering from addiction and not yet ready to live independently, and creative affordable housing solutions that fit the unique needs of the neighborhood. We also talked about tools, such as inclusionary zoning, that municipalities, like Burlington, use to incentive affordable housing, but rules that disincentive developing housing that the community needs, such as 3+ bedroom apartments.

Join Us for Our Next Fair Housing Fridays!

If you missed it last weeks’, you can find our full recording below. 

Resources shared as a part of this Fair Housing Friday:

To learn more about Fair Housing Month and upcoming activities: https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/
To learn more and get help: https://www.cvoeo.org/get-help/fair-housing-and-discrimination
A finding housing resource: https://www.housingdata.org/find-rental-housing (you can search specifically for accessible units)

Home Access Grant Program, funding available for reasonable modifications: https://vcil.org/services/home-access-program/

And coming up this week:

Throughout the month of April:

April Is Fair Housing Month – Celebrate Inclusive Communities and the Importance of Home

affirmatively furthering fair housing, April Fair Housing Month

Each April we celebrate the 1968 passage of the Fair Housing Act with a series of free public education and art events to raise awareness about the importance of equal access to housing, free from discrimination, and the positive role that inclusive, affordable housing plays in thriving communities. Virtual and in-person activities include workshops, community discussions, library events, the all-ages HeART & Home Community Art Project, and an art contest and exhibit.

See below for a sampling of this year’s Fair Housing Month events. The full schedule and registration links are at https://fairhousingmonthvt.org. For more information, email fhp@cvoeo.org.

  • FAIR HOUSING FRIDAYS: Informational, interactive sessions hosted by the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO with guests from communities and organizations around the state, 12:30pm April 15, 22, and 29 via Zoom.
  • WORKSHOPS & TRAININGS: Opportunities for the general public, housing and service providers, landlords, and others to learn about fair housing rights and responsibilities and discuss current issues.
  • LIBRARY ACTIVITIES: Book discussions, StoryWalks®, HeART & Home art activities, and other community events at participating libraries all over the state in partnership with the VT Department of Libraries.
  • HeART & HOME COMMUNITY ART PROJECT: It’s easy to join this all-ages art project! 1) Pick up an art kit at CVOEO or participating local libraries or download the creative prompts and use your own materials; 2) Create a drawing, collage, painting, photo, sculpture, comic, or any other type of art; and 3) Share a photo of your creation to be added to the online community gallery and be entered in a prize drawing. Send photos to fhp@cvoeo.org or post to social media using #fairhousingmonthvt and tag @thrivingcommunitiesvt on Facebook and Instagram or @vtfairhousing on Twitter. All participants are entered to win prizes and invited to join the April 26 online Artist Reception.
  • ART CONTEST & EXHIBIT: Arts So Wonderful contest and exhibit on the theme of “What makes a thriving, inclusive community?” Open to all ages, with cash prizes for youth and adults. The submission deadline is April 24 with an opening reception at the gallery in South Burlington on April 29. More info at https://fairhousingmonthvt.org/asw-x-cvoeo-art-contest.  

Fair Housing is the right to equal opportunity in housing choice and the right to rent or buy 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.

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, Arts So Wonderful, Burlington City Arts, Vermont Legal Aid, Vermont Human Rights Commission, Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, CEDO, and other partners.

These activities are made possible with the support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and event sponsorship from the “Champions of Affordable, Inclusive Housing” a group of private and non-profit housing providers and organizations including Farrell Properties, Vermont State Housing Authority, Redstone, Main Street Landing, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Evernorth, Cathedral Square, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, and Pomerleau Real Estate. Library activities and art kits 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.