April is Fair Housing Month: Check out the ERC’s Calendar of Events!
By: Nick Adjami
April 1, 2024
We’re thrilled to offer eleven events this month to celebrate fair housing! From in-person conferences to educational webinars, we hope you’ll take advantage of these free offerings. We’re especially excited to invite you to the ERC Annual Meeting, which will take place on April 25th at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in downtown DC. This year’s theme is Unlocking Full Potential: Incentivizing Better Outcomes in the Housing Voucher Program. Georgetown professor and author of The Voucher Promise Dr. Eva Rosen will give a keynote talk. Register now!
Full Calendar of Events
See event descriptions below.
April 5 – Fair Housing Friday: DC Goals from the Regional Fair Housing Plan
April 12 – Fair Housing Friday: Fair Housing and Rental Screenings in DC
April 18 – Maryland Fair Housing Forum
April 19 – Fair Housing Friday: DC Source of Income Protections for Individuals with Housing Vouchers
April 19 – Pets and Housing Summit
April 20 – Arlington Fair Housing Conference
April 23 – NAACP Fairfax County Event
April 25 – Fairfax County Fair Housing Month Event
April 25 – ERC Annual Meeting! Unlocking Full Potential: Incentivizing Better Outcomes in the Housing Voucher Program
April 26 – Fair Housing Friday: Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing for Housing Providers
April 27 – Live in Arlington Information Fair
Fair Housing Fridays
The Equal Rights Center (ERC) and DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) are excited to partner to celebrate Fair Housing Month this April! Join us for a series of exciting webinars each Friday this month on a variety of important fair housing topics and emerging trends. Register for each session at the links below!
- DC Goals from the Regional Fair Housing Plan
April 5, 1:00 – 2:00 PM
The Metropolitan Washington Regional Fair Housing Plan lays out the steps local jurisdictions will take through 2026 to reduce unfair housing practices, reverse patterns of racial segregation, and improve access to current and future residents. This free webinar from DHCD will review the District’s goals under the plan. - Fair Housing and Rental Screenings in DC
April 12, 10:00 – 11:00 AM
This free webinar from the ERC will introduce local and federal fair housing protections for renters, with a focus on protections during the application process. We’ll also discuss signs of potential discrimination for renters during their housing searches and recommended best practices for housing providers when screening applicants. - DC Source of Income Protections for Individuals with Housing Vouchers
April 19, 10:00 – 11:00 AM
This free webinar from the ERC will explain new source of income protections for D.C. renters introduced in 2022. We’ll also discuss signs of potential discrimination for D.C. residents with housing vouchers or subsidies, such as a Housing Choice Voucher or Rapid Rehousing, and best practices for housing providers when screening applicants. - Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing for Property Managers
April 26, 10:00 – 11:00 AM
This DHCD webinar will focus on the purpose of the Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan (AFHMP) to ensure community members are provided equal housing opportunities as required by the Fair Housing Act and D.C. Human Rights Act. We’ll discuss best practices for housing providers, property managers, and real estate professionals when marketing units.
Maryland Fair Housing Forum
April 18, 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Greenbelt Branch Library, PGCMLS
11 Crescent Rd
Greenbelt, MD 20770
The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights is hosting a forum to educate tenants and homeowners about their rights and responsibilities. The event will include a series of workshops on fair housing laws, discrimination, and how to report violations. Susie McClannahan, the ERC’s senior Fair Housing Rights Program Manager, will speak on a panel addressing source of income discrimination.
Pets and Housing Summit
April 19, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Lee Center
1108 Jefferson St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria invites housing providers, developers, and housing-focused organizations to learn about how pet-inclusive policies can benefit you, your renters, and your community! ERC staff will be speaking at 2:00 PM about assistance animals in housing. Register to attend.
Arlington Fair Housing Conference
April 20, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
The Heights Building (H-B Woodlawn)
1601 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22209
Join the ERC, NAACP Arlington Branch, and HOME of Virginia for an in-person Fair Housing Conference. The event will include a keynote from Thomas Silverstein, Associate Director of the Fair Housing & Community Development Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Event topics will include HUD’s proposed AFFH rule, the state of fair housing in Virginia, and fair housing opportunities and challenges in Arlington County. Register to attend!
NAACP Fairfax County Event
April 23, 7:00 PM
Online
The ERC will be presenting virtually to the NAACP Fairfax County Branch. The presentation will cover an introduction to fair housing and overview of Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). Register for the webinar here – choose April 23 on the form.
Fairfax County’s Annual Fair Housing Event
April 25, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
12000 Government Center Pkwy
Fairfax, VA 22035
The ERC, Fairfax County Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs, and Northern Virginia Association of Realtors are excited to present “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing: Behind the Scenes Working to Serve You.” Discussion topics will include Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, best practices in fair housing planning, and fair housing outreach and resources. Reserve your spot today!
Unlocking Full Potential: Incentivizing Better Outcomes in the Housing Voucher Program
April 25, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Martin Luther King Memorial Library
Conference Room 401-F
901 G St NW
Washington, DC 20001
At the ERC’s annual meeting, we’ll share highlights from the past year, with a focus on the work we’ve done to identify and eliminate source of income discrimination. Associate professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and author of The Voucher Promise, Dr. Eva Rosen will give a keynote talk. Register to attend today!
For the first time since 2019, we are excited to host this event in an in-person format. Please note that we are requiring all attendees to wear a face mask. Free face masks will be provided or you are welcome to bring your own. We want to ensure this event is as accessible as possible, and that includes everyone masking to decrease COVID-19 exposure for people with disabilities who are at higher risk of catching the virus or experiencing complications.
Live in Arlington Information Fair
April 27, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Walter Reed Recreation Center
2909 16th St. S
Arlington, VA 22204
Centro de Apoyo Familiar (Center for Assistance to Families) and the Arlington County Housing Division have partnered to organize a day of resource-sharing and workshops related to housing. ERC staff will be tabling at the event to educate attendees about their fair housing rights. Register here.
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The ERC is a civil rights organization that identifies and seeks to eliminate unlawful and unfair discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations in its home community of Greater Washington DC and nationwide. The ERC’s core strategy for identifying unlawful and unfair discrimination is civil rights testing. When the ERC identifies discrimination, it seeks to eliminate it through the use of testing data to educate the public and business community, support policy advocacy, conduct compliance testing and training, and, if necessary, take enforcement action. For more information, please visit www.equalrightscenter.org
