Each April, National Fair Housing Month is celebrated to reaffirm our commitment to ending housing discrimination and commemorate the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act in 1968, which prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of housing on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), familial status, or disability. The Fair Housing Center is excited to introduce Fair Housing Month of Action — a month dedicated to educating ourselves, and taking time to reflect, so that we can take action to advance fair housing.
We invite you to participate in Fair Housing Month of Action to expand your fair housing knowledge and become a better advocate for housing justice. Throughout the month of April, check out this page for daily challenges, resources, and engaging activities. Be sure to also follow us on social media and subscribe to our email list, so you don’t miss out on any of the action!
WEEK ONE
📖 READ: Fair Housing Reading List | Download The Fair Housing Center’s 2024 Fair Housing Reading List. Then, visit your local library or independent bookstore to find your next read!
▶️ WATCH: Voices of Fair Housing | Visit www.thehousingcenter.org/voices to hear from former clients of The Fair Housing Center, who shared their experiences with fighting back against housing discrimination.
🎧 LISTEN: If You Don’t Know, Now You Know – Racism in Housing | In this episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, Trevor Noah dives into the long and ongoing history of discrimination against African Americans homeowners. Give it a listen!
💭 REFLECT: Which action item are you going to tackle first? Follow us on social media to let us know what you are reading, watching, listening to, and learning!
WEEK TWO
📖 READ: State of Fair Housing in Northeast Ohio Report | Learn more about local fair housing trends by reading the 2023 State of Fair Housing in Northeast Ohio report.
▶️ WATCH: “Seven Days” Documentary | This film, produced by the National Fair Housing Alliance and Nationwide, chronicles the seven days between the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the passage of the Fair Housing Act.
🎧 LISTEN: Nikole Hannah-Jones: Modern-Day Segregation | On this episode of Talks at Google, award-winning investigative reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones discusses how and why public schools are (still) divided by race.
💭 REFLECT: After reading the State of Fair Housing report, what stuck out to you? Did any statistics or findings surprise you? Join the conversation using the hashtag #FairHousingMonthOfAction!
WEEK THREE
📖 READ: The Racial Segregation of American Cities Was Anything but Accidental | Learn how federal government policies created racially segregated patterns of living in our communities.
▶️ WATCH: The Disturbing History of the Suburbs | Adam Conover, host of TruTV’s Adam Ruins Everything, explains the disturbing history of the suburbs and how redlining still affects us today.
🎧 LISTEN: Paige Glotzer on How the Suburbs Were Segregated | Learn about the exclusionary history of American suburbs and how that history connects to racial capitalism and white settler colonialism.
💭 REFLECT: Where you live matters. What do you love about your community? Follow us on social media and let us know!
WEEK FOUR
📖 READ: Digital Toolkit: Fair Housing for People with Criminal Records | Download our digital toolkit to learn more about the fair housing rights of people with criminal records and access free resources.
▶️ WATCH: “Racism has a cost for everyone” – Heather McGhee TED Talk | Heather McGhee shares startling insights into how racism fuels bad policymaking and drains our economic potential.
🎧 LISTEN: Why Can’t We Have Nice Things? | Heather McGhee discusses her search for answers to the question “Why can’t we have nice things?” She finds her first clue in an unlikely place: a drained public pool.
💭 REFLECT: Think about the ways that racism keeps us from “having nice things” in our communities. What would a truly equitable community look like? (Head over to Facebook, Instagram, or X and leave a comment on today’s post with your thoughts!)
WEEK FIVE
📖 READ: Just Action by Leah and Richard Rothstein | Just Action serves as a blueprint for concerned citizens and community leaders who want to address segregation in a meaningful way.
(Don’t forget to join us on May 7th for Just Action: A Conversation on Dismantling Segregation and Achieving Housing Justice, featuring Leah Rothstein! More details at www.thehousingcenter.org/events)
▶️ WATCH: Long Island Divided | In a 3-year investigation, Newsday found evidence of widespread separate and unequal treatment of minority homebuyers and minority communities on Long Island.
🎧 LISTEN: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing with Justin Steil | On this episode of Opportunity Starts at Home, Dr. Justin Steil, professor of Law and Urban Planning at MIT, joins the hosts to discuss Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.
💭 REFLECT: Did anything you read, watched, or listened to throughout the month surprise you, change your perspective, or teach you something new? We would love to hear your thoughts and reflections on the month.