What is Fair Housing Month?
Each April, fair housing advocates, organizations, and local communities across the country celebrate National Fair Housing Month by hosting a variety of activities and events that increase public awareness of fair housing work, and highlight the importance of creating equitable and inclusive communities. The month-long observance celebrates the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, which was officially signed into law 55 years ago, on April 11, 1968, by President Johnson. Thanks to the Fair Housing Act, every person living in the United States is protected from housing discrimination based on their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or familial status. Depending on where you live, your state or local laws may offer additional protections. Last year, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge reaffirmed the importance of Fair Housing Month, saying:
The Fair Housing Act recognized what generations have known – that where we live impacts nearly every part of our lives. Fair Housing Month is a time to recommit to our mission to promote fairness, inclusion, and justice in housing. This month and every month, we are doing everything in our power to ensure every person has a fair shot at the American dream.
Secretary Marcia L. Fudge
This year, the Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research is excited to introduce Fair Housing Month of Action — an action-packed month of daily challenges and activities meant to help folks expand their fair housing knowledge and become better advocates for housing justice. Starting on Monday, April 3, and continuing throughout the month, The Fair Housing Center will be sharing action items each weekday for participants to complete. Whether it’s reading an article, watching a video, listening to a podcast, or sharing a reflection, these activities are intended to increase fair housing knowledge, spark meaningful discussions, and energize participants, so that they might be moved to take action to further fair housing in their communities.
Why should I participate in Fair Housing Month of Action?
If you are wondering whether Fair Housing Month of Action is meant for you, the answer is a resounding yes! Everyone is welcome—and encouraged—to participate, and the knowledge gained from completing the month’s activities will benefit individuals and communities alike. While we can celebrate the rights ensured to us by the Fair Housing Act, we should also recognize that we still have a lot of work to do to truly create fair and equitable communities.
In order to do that external work in our communities, we have to first do some internal work of learning and unlearning. Although we may have learned the partial history in school, most of us did not learn the full, accurate history of how the U.S. has used discriminatory housing policies, like redlining, to perpetuate segregation and inequality. Therefore, it is up to us to do the work of uncovering the true story of housing in America. Through this truth-seeking process, it is also necessary for us to do some self-reflection, identifying harmful or inaccurate ideas and biases that we may hold, and working to unlearn those concepts. If, and only if, we see things as they truly are, we can take action to create a more equitable future. Through reading, watching, listening, supporting, and reflecting, Fair Housing Month of Action activities will equip participants with the knowledge needed to be informed and engaged housing justice advocates.
How can I get in on the action?
There are a number of ways to get involved in Fair Housing Month of Action, and we welcome folks to participate in whichever way works best for them! If you are looking to engage in discussion and build community with others who are participating in the month’s activities, RSVP “Going” to the Fair Housing Month of Action Facebook event. The discussion section of this event page will serve as a dedicated space for participants to respond to prompts and start meaningful conversations around fair housing. Some may even find that this online community serves as a tool for accountability, motivating them to keep up with the month’s activities and remain energized to “do the work.” Participants who RSVP to the event will also receive the added benefit of getting notified every time a new activity or challenge drops.
If you would like to participate, but prefer to only receive notifications once a week, make sure you are subscribed to The Fair Housing Center’s email list. Every Monday throughout the month of April, subscribers will receive an email outlining the action items for the entire week. Email subscribers also receive access to The Fair Housing Center’s quarterly newsletters, press releases, and other important email updates.
In addition to RSVPing to the event and subscribing to our email list, folks are encouraged to follow The Fair Housing Center on social media (@thehousingcenter on Facebook and Instagram, and @housingcenter on Twitter). No matter which platform(s) you use, action items will be shared across all social media platforms, to ensure that no one misses the opportunity to participate. More information on Fair Housing Month of Action, including weekly action item updates, can be found at www.thehousingcenter.org/action.