Tag Archives: fair housing month

Thank You for Another Successful Fair Housing Month

We couldn’t be more grateful for the conversations we had throughout Fair Housing Month in April. We talked about how public spaces contribute to the sense of belonging, how we can reach a wider audience through creative forms of community engagement, the ways opportunities for resident feedback in how we shape our home & community spaces can foster a sense of agency– and so much more. We received countless responses to our HeART & Home Art prompts, illustrating how we each think of home, so much more than the shelter-structure. We have enjoyed seeing you in parks, laundromats, statewide calls in the digital space, breweries, in passing in our hallways and on our sidewalks. And we also appreciate the quiet listeners, tuning in from your work day when you can, sharing the events and activities in your communities.

Each year, our work grows

Each year, the network of Fair Housing Month partners grows, allowing this work to reach more people across the state. Almost 200 people participated in the CVOEO lead workshops, community conversations, Fair Housing Friday discussions, art events, and countless other educational activities, and hundreds more were engaged by partners across the state. We distributed more than 1,100 HeART & Home Art kits to invite reflection on the foundation that home provides to all of our lives, and how important it is to have agency in our home-space to accommodate our unique, individual ways of living.

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 are a couple of highlights that were recorded:

  • The  Community Day of Action press event included compelling explanations about the connection between green space, equity, and a sense of community. You can watch the recording here  (also linked above!)
  • The Vocabulary of Home conversation at Contois Auditorium highlighted the importance of talking about affordable housing from the lens of “home,” and the voices of the people who live there. CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project joined Burlington’s Special Assistant to End Homelessness Sarah Russell at Contois Auditorium for a discussion on how we talk about housing and homelessness. Wearing both her “housing hat” and “artist hat,”  CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project’s Corrine Yonce used images from her public art, lessons from the HeART & Home art responses, and anecdotes from residents in affordable housing to highlight the complexities in our housing language.  You can watch that recording here.
  • We had another round of stellar Fair Housing Friday discussions, featuring voices of resident engagement coordinators, affordable housing residents, community artists, media makers and organizers, city planners, advocates– and more! These are out-of-the-box creative discussions about the state’s housing needs, avenues for directly involving the people living in affordable housing, and how we think about home and community as a state. You can find those recordings, along with a archive of past Fair Housing Fridays, here.
  • We hosted an art opening at King St Laundry as part of a public art series, where we talked about the role public art plays in furthering equality in our housing landscape, and how public spaces can act as an extension of our homes.
  • One rainy Saturday evening, CVOEO Fair Housing Project, along with the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition and Main Street Landing, closed out a month of activities with a housing social followed by the film The Pursuit of Happyness. 

An Abundance of Gratitude

We want to give a special shout out to the Fair Housing Friday guest panelists:

Meaghan Tedder, of Evernorth Housing, Will Condry and Jennifer Herrera Condry  of Juniper Creative Arts, Sal Millichamp, of Laurentide – thank you for sharing your insights on how we can engage the people we house in their shared and private spaces. 
  • This was a rich conversation between community artists, resident service providers, and residents living in affordable housing, with specific insight on not just how to engage residents in the design of their home spaces, but how resident feedback can make our work as housing providers more efficient. You can find the recording here.
Jordyn Fitch & Maeve Littau of Junction Arts Media – thank you for sharing your documentary, your voice and your perspective on this topic! Your work documenting the housing landscape in Connecticut River Valley region comes a critical time to listen to the people most impact by our housing shortage. 
  • Jordyn and Maeve’s shared unique perspective comes in the midst of a string of housing events hosted by Junction Arts and Media, including a documentary screening of Racist Trees and an art exhibit, Redlining Our Souls. Learn more here.  You can catch their Fair Housing Friday discussion here.
To John Haffner of Vital Communities, and Meagan Tuttle & Sarah Morgan of the Burlington Office of City Planning, and Beth Whitlock representing Hinesburg Housing Committee – thank you for sharing how the ways we talk about housing can inform the ways communities think about and engage with housing, and for introducing tools to expand our housing vocabulary.
  • The panelists covered a lot of ground related to this topic, from the ways assumptions about “Vermont communities” may limit us from meeting our housing needs to the surprising ways Vermont downtown centers historically met many of the smart growth goals we strive for today.  You can find the full recording here.

We also want to extend our deepest gratitude to our Fair Housing Month partners, including Vital Communities and the White River Valley Consortium for bringing Fair Housing education and HeART & Home art kits to welcome in new members of the Rochester community, and to the Home Creators Expo. We thank all the libraries who hosted workshops, art activities, and educational information, and the Vermont Department of Libraries for connecting us to these incredible resources across the state. Thank you to Junction Arts & Media, Randolph Area Community Development, RuralEdge, Vermont LegalAid, CEDO, ONE Arts, Vermont Human Rights Commission, the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, Burlington REIB and the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition for helping us reach as many Vermonters as we can with our Fair Housing Month programming.

And a huge thank you to all of our sponsors: Champlain Housing Trust, Cathedral Square, Evernorth, Farrell Properties, Main Street Landing, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Pomerleau Real Estate, Redstone, Vermont State Housing Authority, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, and Vermont Housing Finance Agency

The work is Far From Over

Finally, we remind ourselves that this work is far from over. Fair Housing Month activities wrapped up in advance of 1,800 Vermonter facing imminent displacement, 600 of whom are children, many of whom have serious health requirements – like access to ventilation equipment and regular nursing needs – many of whom are fleeing domestic violence, and who disproportionately represent the members of our community traditionally denied equal opportunity to housing. Renters face rising rent costs despite wages not growing in proportion, in the midst of an unprecedented housing shortage. Black and Brown Vermonters continue to rely on rental housing at a far greater rate than white Vermonters, who are also privileged with greater access to home ownership. Renters are not afforded Just Cause eviction protections in most of the state, and more than half of renters are cost burdened by their rental cost, thus resigned to a sense of precarity. Our dire housing landscapes calls us to continue to have these conversations, which outline creative, innovative, and new ways to address a growing problem.

Fair Housing Month Recap:

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?”

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”

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

TONIGHTTuesday, April 26th:

Throughout the month of April:

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

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:

Burlington City Hall Fair Housing Exhibit – Celebrate Inclusive Communities and the Importance of Home

Housing is a basic human right and everyone deserves equitable access to safe, accessible, and stable homes, free from discrimination. Having enough quality, affordable, and inclusive homes helps build vibrant communities, and promotes economic growth and opportunity for all. In the face of the ongoing housing crisis in Vermont, where there simply aren’t enough homes for people of all income levels – especially those of lower income and the most vulnerable in our communities – and as we emerge from the covid-19 pandemic, housing justice is of paramount importance.

This week’s Fair Housing Month event- overview:

  • Thursday April 14th 12pm-1pmLandlord Management Series: Fair Housing :Join Angela Zaikowski of Vermont Landlords Association, Cole Elwood of Strong Will Real Estate /Keller Williams Vermont, and Jess Hyman of the CVOEO Fair Housing Project as they cover fair housing in Vermont
  • Thursday April 14th 6-8pmSEABA Virtual ‘Affordable Housing Roundtable’ : A roundtable for Burlington’s South End artists and businesses to better understand recent housing policy reforms and engage on innovative solutions to help tackle the affordable housing challenge in Burlington’s South End.
  • Friday April 15th 12:30pm Fair Housing Friday Why Aren’t We Building the Housing We Need?  Featuring Katherine “Deac” Decarreau, ED Winooski Housing Authority, Nate Besio, Peer Advocate Counselor Coordinator VCIL, Carol Jaramillo. Community Builder Northgate Resident Owned Corp, in this webinar we will hear about 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.

Visit the City Hall Gallery at 149 Church Street in Burlington to  check out CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project Fair Housing Month exhibit!  

April marks the anniversary of the 1968 passage of the Fair Housing Act, which was intended to put an end to inequities in our housing system, eliminate racial segregation, and guarantee that everyone has the right to obtain a home of their choice, free from discrimination. Visit the City Hall Gallery at 149 Church Street in Burlington to learn more about the history of the Fair Housing Act, your rights and responsibilities under Federal and Vermont law, and how Fair Housing is connected to the challenges and opportunities of Vermont’s current housing landscape. These newly designed panels  feature our updated protected classes iconography, ways to become an advocate, and a brief history of Fair Housing

For those of you who cannot make it, you can view our PDFs below!

This exhibit was created by the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO with illustrations by Corrine Yonce.

Special thanks to Burlington City Arts & Vantage Press.