TUCSON MAYOR REGINA ROMERO PROCLAIMS APRIL AS FAIR HOUSING MONTH
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero proclaimed April as Fair Housing Month in recognition of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and called on the federal government to preserve the rules that protect people from housing and lending discrimination.
Mayor Romero issued her proclamation Tuesday, April 7th, at the start of the regular Mayor and Council meeting surrounded by City Council members, City Department directors, members of the Commission on Equitable Housing and Development, community members, and representatives of housing organizations and affordable housing developers.
“Tucson remains committed to removing existing barriers to housing and to strive that all residents have access to housing, and we urge the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to preserve rules that protect people from housing and lending discrimination,” Mayor Romero said as part of her proclamation.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the landmark Civil Rights Act, which included the Fair Housing Act as part of Title VIII, on April 11, 1968. The law “targeted inequities in housing and aimed to eliminate racial segregation and guarantee that all people in America have the right to secure, safe and decent housing free from discrimination.” The Fair Housing Act stated that “citizens and government would set the values of equality, equity, and dignity in our public housing policies and practices.”
Mayor Romero and the City Council have supported measures that improve housing affordability and opportunities for Tucson residents. They recognize that housing is interconnected with other critical issues, including climate resiliency, community safety, and social equity.
In 2021, the Mayor and Council made housing a top priority and adopted the Housing Affordability Strategy for Tucson. They subsequently adopted the Source of Income Ordinance to curb discriminatory denial for people with Housing Choice Vouchers and other government housing assistance.
Reading from the proclamation, Mayor Romero said Tucson recognizes the past practices of lending and sale of homes, including racist Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CCRs), created inequities and segregated housing patterns.
Despite progress in curbing housing discrimination, “Tucson’s communities of color and marginalized families and homeless individuals continue to face discrimination and obstacles to safe and healthy housing,” said the proclamation.
Mayor Romero encouraged Tucson residents to “reflect on the importance of housing for all and to work toward that goal so that individuals and families and children can live securely and safely.”
Jay Young, Executive Director of the Southwest Fair Housing Council, accepted the proclamation.
“It is so important to have this local support for fair housing. It has literally kept our doors open this year. I want to thank the Mayor and Council for your continued support of fair housing—and not only support but going the extra mile for Source of Income Protection and paying attention to this important issue,” said Young, who also is chair of the City of Tucson’s Commission on Equitable Housing and Development.
On Saturday, April 18, a community barbecue and fair housing event will be held at Freedom Park, 5000 E. 29th St. The event will include information on housing rights, the City of Tucson’s Home Repair Program, cost savings on utilities, upcoming community cleanups, and code enforcement.
The event is sponsored by the Tucson Chapter of the NAACP and the 29th Street Thrive Zone, a community reinvestment program run by the City of Tucson’s Housing and Community Development Department.
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