[Archived] City of Alexandria Celebrates Fair Housing Month

For Immediate Release: April 3, 2017

In recognition of Fair Housing Month, the City of Alexandria is sponsoring a number of activities to promote the awareness and understanding of fair housing. April was declared as National Fair Housing Month by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to recognize the anniversary of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, and to remember the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which occurred a week before the Act was signed. The Act stands as the final great legislative achievement of the 1960s civil rights era.

Fair Housing Month is celebrated as an opportunity for recommitment to the goal of eliminating housing discrimination and the creation of equal opportunity in every community. The City’s activities include the following:

An April 8 training for condominium residents, board members and managers regarding compliance with the federal Fair Housing Act and Virginia’s Fair Housing law. This training is offered with the support of the MercerTrigiani law firm, Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) and the City’s Office of Human Rights.
A poster contest for elementary and middle school students, offered in partnership with the Alexandria Library, regarding how fair housing helps make Alexandria a welcoming community. The contest will begin with a kick-off event at the Burke Branch Library on Monday, April 3, at 3:15 p.m. The poster contest is intended to educate youth on how fair housing laws protect all Alexandrians against illegal housing discrimination. The contest deadline is Friday, April 21.
An April 25 Apartment Manager’s Seminar, offered by the Office of Housing Landlord Tenant Relations Board and Kettler, Inc., to provide training and Virginia fair housing certification for local property managers.

In addition to these activities, each spring the City’s Office of Housing conducts fair housing testing in different segments of Alexandria’s housing market to determine the potential presence of discriminatory sales, leasing and/or lending practices. Housing staff will also provide training on federal, state and local fair housing laws to real estate and property management companies upon request.

For additional information on these activities, or on how the City works to promote compliance with fair housing laws, visit the Office of Housing webpage. To register for one of the upcoming training sessions, please contact Juanita Norwood at juanita.norwood@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.4990.

For media inquiries, contact Melissa Riddy, Communications Officer, at melissa.riddy@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3961.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Gwen Lassiter at gwen.lassiter@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4990, Virginia Relay 711.