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Housing’s “Fourth Box”: Revisioning Housing Equity for Housing Justice (Movement(s))

Tue, October 25, 2022 @ 9:30 am12:00 pm

Registration Required

The “Fourth Box” series is for service providers and advocates who are interested in transformative justice. Our goal is to convene to work collaboratively as a diverse, nonprofit community of service providers and advocacy organizations to empower advocacy and implement approaches to address human needs as human rights. In “Housing’s Fourth Box” we will approach housing as a human right and tackle the challenges that often confront service providers and advocates when they seek to integrate that perspective into client-based and systemic advocacy. In the first three-hour workshop (Models) we will explore the interface between housing discrimination and housing justice in the Fair Housing Act. While many individuals are familiar with the Fair Housing Act’s prohibitions on discrimination against protected classes, the Fair Housing Act also requires that state, local and federal governments take “meaningful actions, in addition to combating discrimination, that overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity” (also known as “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing or AFFH”) on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (inclusive of sexual orientation by federal Executive Order as of 2021), disability status, familial status (existence of children in the household) and religion. We will review some inspiring examples of “narrative shifting” on the part of advocates who have, through a sustained focus on the foundational role that adequate housing plays in all aspects of a person’s life, expanded housing justice through zoning, community investment, housing stability and expanded access to homeownership. In addition to reviewing national and international frameworks that stress the importance of treating housing as a right and not as a commodity, participants will also access tools that can help us visualize the impact of residential segregation patterns, past and present, to inform our future work. In the second workshop in the series (Movements), each participant will be encouraged to further explore commitments to “affirmatively further fair housing” (AFFH) by reflecting on their engagement in housing advocacy to foster inclusive communities, overcome patterns of segregation and combat discrimination. We will explore different AFFH and other advocacy resources to help inform their work. We will explore numerous innovative efforts all around us locally and in Michigan for inspiration, and lessons that they provide to address systemic challenges and impediments to housing justice in our communities. We will take care to center ourselves in the present moment and address the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic on racial equity and housing justice, and its implications for our future work in the housing sector. Participants may participate in either or both of the workshops. ONEplace will email participants the zoom link before the workshop. Contact [email protected] if you have any questions.Presented by Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan

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Details

Date:
Tue, October 25, 2022
Time:
9:30 am–12:00 pm
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All Kalamazoo Public Library events are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated in the event description. A library card is not required to attend. Events where space is limited may require prior registration or a free ticket to attend. Registration and ticket requirements are indicated in the event description. Patrons who require special accommodations can submit their request to the event coordinator by calling 269-553-7800 or emailing [email protected].

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