Fair Housing Month 2024

THE HISTORY

Fair housing is a human right. This basic truth was signed into United States law as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act, better known as the Federal Fair Housing Act, on April 11, 1968. Each year this milestone is celebrated by recognizing April as Fair Housing Month.

Fair housing has been at the forefront of change in Western New York, as this year’s Fair Housing Month marks six years since the passage of Erie County’s fair housing law, which prohibits landlords from denying tenants based on their source of income, including Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other government assistance. It also marks five years since source of income protections and others were added at the state level in New York.

Western New York’s only fair housing agency, Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME), will host many events throughout the month to raise awareness of fair housing and to educate people about their rights in housing. The Fair Housing Month calendar is anchored by a free tenants’ rights workshop on Tuesday, April 23 and a free landlord training on Wednesday, April 17.

As the country enters its 57th year of fair housing, discrimination persists. In 2023 HOME received nearly 500 discrimination reports, the most in a single year in HOME’s history. HOME emphasizes the importance of continuing to fight discrimination in Western New York through education and enforcement of fair housing laws. Fair Housing Month is a major part of this work.

Satellite office hours

HOME staff will be available to answer fair housing questions at the following locations throughout April; stop by if it’s more convenient for you than our Main Street office:

Wednesday, April 3: Hamburg Community Development, 6122 South Park, 2-4pm
Tuesday, April 9: Jamestown City Hall (Department of Development, 4th floor), 9-4:30
Wednesday, April 10 and 24: Belmont Housing Resources for WNY, 2393 Main Street, 10-12am

Community events

HOME staff will also have tables at the following community events in April:

Tuesday, April 9: Senior resource fair at Tonawanda Towers, 11-1
Saturday, April 13: National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) Building Black Wealth Expo, 10-3
Wednesday, April 17: Senior resource fair at Faybrooke Senior Apartments, 11-1
Wednesday, April 17: Health and Wealth Event at William-Emslie YMCA, 10-3

THE EVENT SCHEDULE

Wednesday, April 17

Free landlord training webinar. Register to learn how to lawfully screen tenants and ensure you conduct your business in compliance with state and federal fair housing laws.

Tuesday, April 23

Free tenants’ rights webinar. Come learn how to recognize if you are discriminated against and about other rights available to you as a renter in New York State. It is important to know your rights so that you can stand up for yourself if they are violated!

Thursday, April 25

Join us for a book discussion on Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law at Black Rock Books at 6:30pm on Thursday, April 25. The book details the history of government-directed segregation in the United States and its implications on the present day. Registration is encouraged, but not required.