Workshop on Fair Housing in Beckley

The Beckley Human Rights Commission will host a workshop on Fair Housing at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center on April 28 from 9 am to 3 pm.

2008 marks the 40th Anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act. But how much do you know about the Act and its impact on your life, your business or your community? What are your rights as a citizen? What are your responsibilities as a landlord? What is the process to file a Fair Housing complaint? What's the difference between reasonable modification and reasonable accommodations?

These and other questions will be answered at the workshop, which will feature speakers Manuel Cartelle, Director of the Beckley Housing Authority, and David Stewart, Fair Housing Consultant for Eastlake, Derry and Associates.

The goal of this workshop is to provide education and assistance to housing professionals and the human rights community to promote compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act and the substantially equivalent West Virginia Fair Housing Act. Fair Housing acts prohibit discrimination concerning the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, handicap and family status.

There is no fee to attend the workshop, which is sponsored by the Northern West Virginia Center for Independent Living and funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Housing Initiatives Program Grant. Lunch will be provided for all participants.

This workshop is open to architects, landlords, developers, builders, contractors, code enforcement officers, building inspectors, social service directors, case managers, advocates, other housing professionals, and interested members of the human rights community. Continuing education credits for architects, realtors and builders is currently being negotiated.

For more information or to register for this workshop, please contact the Beckley Human Rights Commission at 304-256-1777.