For National Fair Housing Month and National Community Development Week, the ACCGov Housing & Community Development Department (HCD) will host a series of events to connect residents with knowledge and resources.
The Athens Clarke-County Housing and Community Development Department Director, Melinda Lord, says this event has historical roots.
"We celebrate National Fair Housing Month in April to commemorate the passage of the Fair Housing Act that took place on April 11 of 1968. This Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin or disability."
The first of the events is a Tenant’s Rights Forum, which will be held on April 10th at the Dougherty Street governmental building auditorium from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. At this event, attendees will learn about housing laws and protections from attorney Chad McCranie from the Georgia Legal Services program. ACCGov’s Code Enforcement Department will also inform the public about housing standards and the local code enforcement process.
Lord says this information is especially timely.
"Georgia updated its tenant rights laws that became effective on July 1 of 2024, so it's really important for this information to be shared with as many people as possible.”
The second of the three events will be a fair housing rights lunch and learn forum on April 23rd at the ACC Library in multipurpose room A from 10 a.m. to noon. This event
will feature fair housing advocate Gail Williams from Metro Fair Housing Services, Inc. Attendees will learn about rights when searching for or living in a home and how to address potential housing discrimination.
"This session is going to provide a better understanding of the fair housing laws and how individuals can be protected by those laws. It provides literature and contact information for anyone needing further assistance regarding potential fair housing violations."
The last event will be a community development resource fair on April 26th, also at the ACC library in multipurpose rooms B and C from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attendees will have the chance to explore a variety of local programs and services aimed at improving the community. Representatives from housing, education and environmental-focused organizations will be there to share resources and answer questions.
"We're hopeful that these events are going to showcase HCD's dedication to supporting residents of our community. It's going to offer residents an opportunity to connect face to face with not only HCD staff, but service providers in the community."
From tenant rights to fair housing laws and community development, these three events aim to inform the Athens community about their housing rights and connect people with valuable resources during National Fair Housing Month.
