Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office Kicks Off Fair Housing Awareness Month
April 14, 2008
Contact: Gary Rhoades, Deputy City Attorney, (310) 458-4928
City Attorney’s Office Kicks Off Fair Housing Awareness Month
The Santa Monica City Attorney’s Consumer Protection Unit has announced a comprehensive campaign for the month of April to improve community awareness of the fair housing laws and to help eliminate housing discrimination in the city. April is National Fair Housing Month and last Friday – April 11, 2008 – was the 40th Anniversary of the 1968 Fair Housing Act.
The City’s fair housing awareness campaign includes the following:
Fair Housing Month Proclamation: On April 22, 2008, the City Council will consider a resolution proclaiming April as Santa Monica’s official Fair Housing Month. This is in recognition of the 40th anniversary of Congress passing and President Johnson signing the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
Adam Radinsky, the Deputy City Attorney who heads the Consumer Protection team, said that the City of Santa Monica was one of the first cities to pass its own fair housing ordinance prohibiting housing discrimination. Radinsky added, “The proposed proclamation this week recognizes the value of all these laws and an open community.
Fair Housing Poster Contest: Three hundred and thirty four (334) elementary and junior high students from across Santa Monica participated in the City’s annual Fair Housing Poster Contest, creating colorful works that featured the 2008 theme, “Fair Housing Turns The Key.” Diane Varady from the City Attorney’s office said that a panel of six judges had the “fun but tough” task of selecting nine finalists from the 334. The nine finalists’ posters will be on display in the lobby of City Hall during the week of April 14. Three of the posters will also be published as calendars for 2009 and will be part of the City’s fair housing ad campaign. The 2008 Fair Housing Calendars are already available and free to the public.
Fair Housing Ad Campaign: The city will place community awareness advertisements in local newspapers beginning the week of April 21. The ads will also notify residents where they can learn more about the fair housing laws such as www.fairhousing.com, fair housing videos on www.youtube.com (just type in “fair housing” into YouTube’s search feature) as well as the City Attorney’s consumer-oriented website at www.smconsumer.org.
Fair Housing Seminar: The Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors (BHGLAAR) and the Santa Monica City Attorney's Office are co-sponsoring a fair housing workshop on real estate and lending issues on April 30, 2008 from 9 a.m. 12:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. registration) at the Santa Monica Library. The unique partnership and workshop are part of the City's and BHGLAAR's efforts to increase awareness in Santa Monica of the fair housing laws.
The workshop's presenters will explain federal and state fair housing laws that prohibit housing discrimination in the sale of real estate as well as lending. They will also discuss steering, redlining, predatory lending practices, and alternatives to litigation such as mediation and the administrative complaint process. The presenters include Beth Rosen Prinz, Deputy Director of the California Department of Fair Employment & Housing; Adam Radinsky, Deputy City Attorney; Steve Manavi, President of BHGLAAR; Gary Rhoades, Deputy City Attorney; Howard Fullman, Managing Senior Counsel, California Association of Realtors; Danica Dias, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Consultant and Desolina Avila, Regional Emerging Markets Consultant.
The workshop’s joint planning committee includes Robert Kronovet, Kronovet Realty Co.; Andrew Jay Gross, Global Funding & Realty Co.; along with Deborah Freeman, Cynthia Garcia and Gary Rhoades, all of the City Attorney’s Office.
Kronovet, who is also a BHGLAAR Board Member and Santa Monica resident, said the workshop was a natural fit for BHGLAAR. “Fair housing is more than a slogan; it’s our way of doing business.
Gary Rhoades, a Deputy City Attorney specializing in fair housing projects and cases said: “This unique cooperative venture between the City and the local realtors underscores the importance of fair housing. Not only does fair housing help Santa Monica families get and keep keys to housing, it’s also crucial for the healthy development of our community and businesses.”
All realtors, realty staff, brokers, homebuyers, lenders, borrowers, advocates, attorneys (MCLE credits provided) and anyone else involved with Santa Monica real estate are invited to RSVP and attend free of charge. A continental breakfast will be provided and library parking will be validated. Please reserve your spot before April 25 by going to www.smconsumer.org and clicking on the link in the middle of the page entitled, “Free Fair Housing Workshop.” For any reservation questions after reviewing the information at www.smconsumer.org
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This page was last updated on 04/14/08.