FAIR HOUSING WORKSHOP

Each April the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Office for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity commemorate the pasting of the Fair Housing Act by declaring this FAIR HOUSING MONTH.  This year’s theme as always is "Fair Housing: It’s Not An Option, It’s the Law.”

In honor of this month the City of Hopkinsville, Christian County Government, Habitat for Humanity,Community Development & Services (Planning Commission), Human Relations Commission, PADD, Housing Authority,  Aaron McNeil/Crisis Relief Center, and the Board of Realtors are conducting their Annual Fair Housing Workshop.  The workshop this year is only half a day with registration and a continental breakfast starting at 8:30. Who should attend this workshop?  Landlords, Bankers, Realtors, Apartment Managers, Insurance Company agents and anyone else interested in fair housing. 

Our speaker for the workshop is Shayla D. Johnson.  Ms. Johnson is the Assistant Director of the Lexington Fair Housing Council in Lexington, Kentucky.  Ms. Johnson is a proud native of Hopkinsville, Kentucky and is a 1997 graduate of Hopkinsville High School.  Ms. Johnson is a 2001 graduate of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky where she earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Government, and she is also a 2004 graduate of the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville where she earned a Juris Doctorate degree.  Ms. Johnson is the daughter of Wendell & Wanda “Bonnie” Lynch. 

Workshop topics will include, but not be limited to, Disability Rights, Protected Classes, Fair Lending, social concerns, (and especially) Fair Housing advertising (use of words, phrases, symbols, visual aids and etc.) and the new LGBT Equal Access to HUD programs. 

Also, sharing part of the time will be Mr. Juan Pena from the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights in Louisville.  Juan will speak on the civil rights of the Hispanic population in Kentucky.  Mr. Juan Pena is a Human Rights Field Supervisor for the Commission.   

In order to adequately prepare, everyone must please RSVP to the Hopkinsville/Christian County Habitat for Humanity’s office at 270-885-8222 or 885-7703 (fax) or e-mail (hcchabitat@bellsouth.net) no later than Friday, April 19, 2013.  If anyone has any questions regarding this workshop, please feel free to contact Jessie Quarles at 885-8222.