Dale Gray (913) 551-5542 |
For Release Thursday April 17, 2008 |
FAIRVIEW ELEMENTARY JOINS HUD TO CELEBRATE FIRST EVER FAIR HOUSING EDUCATION IN AMERICA DAY
ST. LOUIS, MO - Fairview Elementary School in Jennings joined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to
announce its first-ever "Fair Housing Education in America Day" which was held on Wednesday,
April 16, 2008. Designed for 4th
through 6th grade students, this national education project gave teachers, parents and their children a basic understanding of
the landmark Fair Housing Act.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. To mark this occasion, HUD's Office of Fair Housing
and Equal
Opportunity (FHEO) and its fair housing partners encouraged schools across the country to instruct
younger children about fair
housing opportunities. Using a lesson plan developed by HUD, an instructor from the
St. Louis HUD Office of Fair Housing and
Equal Opportunity visited Fairview Elementary to educate 22 6th grade students and to promote the principles of equal opportunity
in housing.
"The goal of 'Fair Housing Education in America Day' is to start the conversation about fair housing opportunities at
a young
age," said Kim Kendrick, HUD's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "It's critically important to teach
future generations of renters and home buyers about their rights under the law."
The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on families with children, race, color, national origin, religion,
disability, or sex and this April marks its 40th anniversary. Used to create awareness, Fair Housing Month
is designed to
educate people of all ages about the rights they have under the Fair Housing Act.
The alternate day for "Fair Housing Education in America Day" is April 23. See a listing of participating schools.
FHEO and its partners in the Fair Housing Assistance Program investigate over 10,000 housing discrimination complaints
annually. People who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination should contact HUD at (800) 669-9777 (voice),
(800) 927-9275 (TTY). Additional information is available at www.hud.gov/fairhousing. Stay on
top of the most up-to-date news
regarding the Fair Housing Act by signing up for the FHEO RSS Feed.
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