Dedication to Fair Housing Doesn’t End After April

Some of the winning submissions from the Maryland Association of Realtors’ 2017 Fair Housing Calendar Contest.

For the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, April is a month that holds special significance. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development observes this month as Fair Housing Month in recognition of the April 1968 passage of the Fair Housing Act, a title within the Civil Rights Act of 1968. The following year, according to HUD, a gala was hosted in New York City in commemoration of the bill’s passage, and observation of this month has only grown since.

Nearly 50 years later, the establishment of the Fair Housing Act, and the annual recognition of Fair Housing Month, is as significant today as it was then. The theme for this year is “Fair Opportunity in Every Community.” At the department, that theme is particularly noteworthy because Maryland is as diverse in population as it is in the topography of the land itself. Maryland’s population, which has steadily risen over the years, has also seen growth in its minority population. Notably, in Charles County and Montgomery County, minorities — Asian, Hispanic and black — outnumber the white population. Prince George’s County is also the wealthiest majority-black county in the entire United States.

Recognizing the need for continual improvement, the department has many programs to help homeowners from all walks of life. The MD HOPE program assists homeowners facing foreclosure through quarterly workshops and the MD HOPE hotline offers year-round foreclosure assistance. In Baltimore City, Project C.O.R.E. — Creating Opportunities for Renewal and Enterprise — aims to make Maryland’s largest city a symbol of revitalization through blight removal and the eventual reconstruction and redevelopment of struggling areas in east and west Baltimore.

School children are participating in Fair Housing Month as well. Recently, Secretary Kenneth C. Holt represented Governor Larry Hogan at an awards ceremony for the Maryland Association of Realtors’ annual Fair Housing Poster Contest in the community reception room of the State House. Children from across the state displayed artwork depicting the theme “Dreams Come True With Fair Housing.”

“We were happy to partner with the Maryland Association of Realtors in teaching the importance of safe, healthy and happy communities as depicted in the wonderful artwork created by our young citizens,” said Secretary Holt.

“The commitment to ensuring fair housing and a high quality of life for all Marylanders doesn’t stop on April 30,” he added. “It’s something we strive to accomplish each and every day.”