The Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) celebrates the 54th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, highlighting the impact and significance of this landmark civil rights law. The theme of this year's Fair Housing Month is Fair Housing: More Than Just Words. This is a call to prompt all of Louisiana to take action to end housing discrimination and to do our part to raise public awareness for fair housing rights and responsibilities.
National Fair Housing Month celebrates the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, a national law that prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion and gender. Each April, LHC, local communities, fair housing advocates, and fair housing organizations across the country commemorate Fair Housing Month by hosting an array of activities that highlight fair housing enforcement efforts, enhance Americans’ awareness of their fair housing rights, and emphasize the importance of ending housing discrimination.
LHC will commemorate Fair Housing Month with a virtual celebration on April 5th at 2 p.m. Eastern time, hosted by HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO). This event will kick off Fair Housing Month and showcase efforts to advance and protect fair housing rights to ensure that all people have the right to obtain the housing of their choice, free from discrimination. LHC takes the charge of providing fair housing and building diverse and inclusive communities seriously. The LHC empowers potential single family home owners by regularly providing education on fair housing rights to those who are looking to buy their first homes through our Housing Counseling Education Classes. These Housing Counseling Classes help prospective homebuyers understand their rights and obligations regarding fair housing, as they learn to navigate the home buying process.
In addition to education and outreach, the LHC mandates that all developers who receive federal or state funds for the creation of affordable housing adhere to fair housing regulations. For example, all federally assisted new construction housing developments, with five or more units, must design and construct five percent of the dwelling units, or at least one unit, whichever is greater, to be accessible for persons with mobility disabilities. The LHC also partners with the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) to administer the Permanent Supportive Housing Program where citizens who have mental and physical disabilities are ensured the right to clean, affordable housing; and, housing that also serves the needs of their disabilities through structural modifications to the unit and/or supportive services through mental health agents (case workers and caregivers).
Additional resources include:
The purpose of the LHC is to substantially increase the availability of affordable, accessible, and safe residential housing in Louisiana. The LHC was created in 2011 when the Louisiana Legislature merged the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency with housing programs from other state agencies to streamline how the state would address its housing needs, avoid duplication of efforts, and improve service to the general public. The LHC administers federal and state funds through programs designed to advance the development of energy efficient and affordable housing for low and moderate income families, drives housing policy for Louisiana, and oversees the state’s Disaster Housing Task Force.
Visit www.lhc.la.gov to learn more about the great work at LHC. For additional information or comments, contact LHC's Office of Public Affairs at publicaffairs@lhc.la.gov.
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