County Fair Housing conference to educate

Fair Housing Act passed 50 years ago

The 2018 Lorain County Fair Housing Conference will be at Lorain County Community College on April 12 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of passing the Fair Housing Act and the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

All are invited to the free event that will run from 5 to 7 p.m. at the college’s Reaser Grand Room, 1005 N. Abbe Road.

The theme of the conference — “Same Games, Same Tactics: What has changed in the past 50 years?” — will be discussed by keynote speaker Darlene Sweeney-Newbern, director of regional operations for the Ohio Civil Rights Commission of Toledo.

Elyria Fair Housing Board administrative liaison LaTaunya Conley said her organization wants the conference to educate the general public who may be victims of housing discrimination.

Conley said people who fall into the category should be aware of the law because it can provide critical information to their lives for prevention. The Fair

Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale and rental of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status

or disability.

During the conference, Sweeney-Newbern will explain how the theme “same game” refers to the issue of discrimination that has occurred before the law passed in the late 1960s, and still happens today, Conley said.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing, some forms of discrimination that are now protected under the law, yet may still happen, are: refusing to make housing available; setting different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling;

falsely deny that housing is for sale, rental or inspection or for profit, persuade owners to sell or rent.

“Times may look different, but it’s still discrimination,” Conley said when explaining the theme and it’s importance.

She said there have been

improvements in housing discrimination, but the issue still affects people today . A law to stop the bigotry in housing was first discussed before the civil rights activist was assassinated April 4, 1968, and then was signed on April 11, 1968.

The Elyria Fair Housing

Board encourages pre-registration by April 6 so organizers can accommodate seating and refreshments. However, registration can also be done at 4:30 p.m. April 12.

Contact Conley at 440326-1407 or email at lconley@cityofelyria.org.