National Fair Housing Month: SWFHC Event’s Wrap-Up
National Fair Housing Month is a time for us to recommit to our vision and a chance to bring our mission to life. So, as April comes to a close, we'd like to share with you the various opportunities we had to engage, educate, and inspire our community. Here's how we celebrated 2024's National Fair Housing Month.
A Community Conversation on Fair Housing Basics
Dedicated to raising awareness about Fair Housing and hosted by CultureHub (Arizona's first Black-owned co-working space), the event offered more than just a lesson in legalities. Participants engaged in an open forum dialogue about the Fair Housing Act, addressing misconceptions and questions while enjoying some local cuisine. They also got a chance to participate in a raffle, making the learning experience both educational and enjoyable.
The Pueblos Resource Fair: Celebrating Kids Day
Our community outreach continued at "The Pueblos Resource Fair," hosted at Sueño Park in Phoenix. The fair provided a lively venue for families to access vital community resources, from immigration assistance and educational support to health services and nutritional advice. Our booth was powered by our very own Tamillia Valenzuela, who was there to ensure attendees left with valuable information to safeguard their housing rights.
Tucson Fair Housing Event at Armory Park
This outdoor gathering at Armory Park in the heart of downtown Tucson marked a milestone for SWFHC; partnering for the first time with with multiple housing partners from Tucson and Southern Arizona. The event was designed to be both fun and educational, featuring locally famous Willy Philly cheesesteaks and music by Pelican Museum. The combination of food, music, and valuable information resonated with the community, setting the stage for what could become an annual celebration.
Fair Housing and Civil Rights Conference | Springfield, MA
We attended Western New England University for a conference on fair housing and civil rights. This event featured a series of accompanying workshops offering attendees a variety of topics to explore. Discussions ranged from affordable housing solutions and integrating individuals with criminal records back into communities to nationwide book bans and the intricacies of disability rights.
Homeless and Fair Housing Resource Event
The Yuma Coalition to End Homelessness and SWFHC collaborated to organize a Fair Housing & Homeless Resource Fair. This event included a Fair Housing training session to educate attendees about their housing rights and the Arizona Landlord Tenant Act. Moreover, the fair offered a wide array of resources for all community members, including access to housing resources, behavioral health agencies, complimentary haircuts for people experiencing homelessness, and a medical clinic for those in need of primary care physician services.
Fair Housing Symposium 2024
The third annual Scottsdale REALTORS® Fair Housing Symposium celebrated Fair Housing Month by offering attendees one hour of continuing education credit while enjoying a continental breakfast.
The event featured a distinguished lineup, including City of Tempe Mayor Corey Woods, NAR Director of Fair Housing Policy & Programs Alexia Smokler, and Leah Rothstein, co-author of "Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation." The symposium also hosted a local panel that discussed the long-term effects of redlining in the Valley. Additional speakers included City of Phoenix Equal Opportunity Director Donald Logan, REALTOR® & Developer Tamala Daniels, and our very own Tasha Lynch, Operations Manager here at SWFHC.
2024 Proclamations
April 2nd - SWFHC accepted Fair Housing Month Proclamation from Pima Country Board of Supervisors
April 9th - SWFHC accepted Fair Housing Month proclamation from Mayor Regina Romero.
