Harrisburg, PA -The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) proudly announces its celebration of Fair Housing Month this April with a series of events, trainings, and discussions aimed at promoting equal access to housing for all Pennsylvanians.
Fair Housing Month commemorates the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and familial status. In Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) provides additional protections, ensuring that individuals are not discriminated against in housing. The PHRC enforces these laws and works to eliminate housing discrimination across Pennsylvania.
PHRC Executive Director Chad Dion Lassiter, MSW expressed the importance of this annual observance, stating, "Fair Housing Month serves as a crucial reminder of our ongoing commitment to ensuring equal housing opportunities for every Pennsylvanian. We must continue to educate, advocate, and act against housing discrimination in all its forms."
PHRC’s Director of Housing and Commercial Property Caroline Griffin Eister echoed this sentiment, adding, "Through partnerships, training sessions, and discussions, we aim to empower individuals and housing providers with the knowledge and tools necessary to uphold fair housing rights. Our goal is to create a more inclusive and equitable housing landscape across the Commonwealth."
Throughout April, PHRC will host and participate in multiple events to engage housing professionals, advocates, and the public in discussions on housing equality and fair housing laws.
The schedule includes:
- Housing Equality Conference – April 8th, Pittsburgh, PA
- Trainings & Events:
- Fair Housing training with the Luzerne County Association of Realtors – April 11th
- Tenfold Housing Summit – April 14th
- Fair Housing training with SEDA-COG – April 22nd
- Fair Housing training for Realtors & Housing Providers, in partnership with the Centre County Advisory Council – April 24th
- Messiah University Annual Convening on Housing & Neighboring – April 24th
- Housing Roundtable with the Fair Housing Law Center – April 29th
- Fair Housing Empower Hour – Fair Housing Fundamentals – April 30th (register here)
- PHRC Speaks: Fair Housing Forward (watch at 3pm on PCNtv)
- April 6th – featured guest: Kurt Danyish, Tomorrow’s Neighbors
- April 20th – featured guest: Caroline Griffin Eister, PHRC
These events will serve as platforms for education, dialogue, and action in advancing fair housing rights and addressing housing disparities across Pennsylvania.
The PHRC, the state’s civil rights enforcement agency, urges anyone who has experienced acts of discrimination to file a complaint by calling 717-787-4410. For more information about PHRC’s Fair Housing Month initiatives and how to participate, please the PHRC website, also follow the PHRC on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our monthly newsletter.