April is Fair Housing Month. It marks the enactment of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The act protects against housing discrimination based on things like a person’s race or gender. Local representatives are taking the opportunity to host the Southwest Florida Fair Housing Summit on Tuesday.
Florida Rural Legal Services attorney Derrick Isaac will speak at the summit. He said the event’s purpose is to educate people involved with housing sales and rentals. He plans to use real life examples of housing discrimination.
“It’s tough to just read about something and not see it play out so I hope to bring out some real life instances where Fair Housing Act has not only assisted people and it’s prevented wrong-doers. Hopefully the take away will be that equal rights in housing is an important thing,” he said.
Isaac said if someone feels discriminated against they should file a complaint with governmental agencies. They investigate the issue, which could involve sending testers to the property or subpoenaing documents.
Isaac said if investigators do find evidence of discrimination, they will try to mediate the issue when, he said, property managers normally resolve the issue.
The Southwest Florida Fair Housing Summit starts at 9:30 Tuesday morning at the Dr. Carrie Robinson Community Center in Fort Myers.
