April Fair Housing Month brought people of all ages and backgrounds together to celebrate, create, and learn about fair housing rights and responsibilities. This fifth annual series of events combined education and art to raise awareness about housing discrimination and the positive role that inclusive, affordable housing plays in thriving communities.
Coordinated by the Fair Housing Project of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO), ONE Arts Center, and other partners, “HeART & Home: Celebrating Inclusive Communities” events in Burlington included an art contest, four exhibitions of local artists, art activities for all ages focused on celebrating home in our inclusive community, and workshops from partner organizations on landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities.
Fair Housing & Art
Art and creative expression help connect people to one another as well as to big ideas. Art helps us make meaning of our collective and individual experiences and provides us with a tool to reflect. By celebrating and promoting fair housing through the arts, people of all ages, skills, abilities, and backgrounds had the opportunity to connect over what home, community, inclusivity, and diversity mean to them.
Close to 100 participated in the Fair Housing Month art activities by joining the workshops, exhibiting art, and entering the contest. Here is a selection of photos from the month:
At the April 2 Fair Housing Month opening event, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger issued a special proclamation which highlighted the need for safe, decent, and affordable housing and stated that inclusive, welcoming, and affordable communities help promote diversity and create equitable and vibrant development. In his proclamation, Mayor Weinberger urged all public and private individuals, agencies, and institutions to help “eliminate housing discrimination in our communities and increase housing opportunities for all.”
The Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, in partnership with the Fair Housing Project, Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Legal Aid, Vermont Human Rights Commission, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Vermont State Housing Authority, USDA Rural Development, and others hosted a Fair Housing Awareness Day at the statehouse on April 3. Governor Phil Scott issued a Fair Housing Month proclamation and the Vermont House and Senate issued a concurrent resolution designating April 2019 as Fair Housing Month. In addition to noting Vermont’s comprehensive anti-discrimination laws, the resolution recognizes that housing discrimination still exists, particularly for people with disabilities and living with children. The resolution also ties this treatment to the availability of housing, stating “The persistent lack of affordable housing in Vermont is exacerbating discrimination and remains one of the import reasons for vigilance on fair housing issues.”
Fair Housing is the right to equal opportunity in housing choice and the right to rent or buy a dwelling free from discrimination. The federal Fair Housing Act passed into law in April 1968 and prohibits discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, and as amended, disability and family status. Vermont has additional protections based on age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, receipt of public assistance, 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.
Fair Housing Month events are made possible with the support of the Champions of Affordable Inclusive Housing (a consortium of private developers) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).