| 1 | House Resolution |
| 2 | A resolution designating April 2011 as "Fair Housing |
| 3 | Month" in Florida. |
| 4 |
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Title VIII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1968 |
| 6 | and the federal Fair Housing Act of 1988 prohibit discrimination |
| 7 | based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, |
| 8 | disability, or familial status in the sale, rental, and |
| 9 | financing of dwellings, and |
| 10 | WHEREAS, in 1983, the Florida Legislature enacted the |
| 11 | Florida Fair Housing Act to ensure that the state make every |
| 12 | effort to provide fair housing to all Florida residents and to |
| 13 | prohibit discrimination in the sale or rental of any dwelling |
| 14 | because of race, color, national origin, sex, or religion, and |
| 15 | the act was amended in 1988 to include the bases of disability |
| 16 | and familial status, and |
| 17 | WHEREAS, the United States Department of Housing and Urban |
| 18 | Development has proclaimed April as "National Fair Housing |
| 19 | Month," launching campaigns to commemorate the historical |
| 20 | passage of this major legislation, increase the public's |
| 21 | awareness of the many protections of the Civil Rights Act, and |
| 22 | encourage communities to remember and celebrate 43 years of |
| 23 | housing successes, and |
| 24 | WHEREAS, according to a recent report from the federal Fair |
| 25 | Housing Administration, Florida continues to experience a |
| 26 | catastrophic rate of home foreclosures and, as of February 2011, |
| 27 | has the highest foreclosure rate in the nation, due in part to |
| 28 | predatory lending practices from 2004 through 2006 that led to |
| 29 | Florida's ethnic and racial minorities accounting for more than |
| 30 | half of all subprime mortgage loans in the state, and |
| 31 | WHEREAS, the Florida Commission on Human Relations, as a |
| 32 | result of its statutorily authorized, thorough, and timely |
| 33 | investigations of housing discrimination complaints, has found |
| 34 | that disability, race, national origin, and sex constituted the |
| 35 | top four bases for housing discrimination cases closed in fiscal |
| 36 | year 2009-2010, and |
| 37 | WHEREAS, amid the current housing crisis, the Florida |
| 38 | Commission on Human Relations continually works to expand its |
| 39 | outreach and educational efforts to inform members of the |
| 40 | housing industry of their responsibilities relating to fair |
| 41 | housing laws and to increase community partnerships to ensure |
| 42 | that Florida residents are afforded every opportunity for fair |
| 43 | treatment and equal access to adequate, affordable housing |
| 44 | without undue discrimination, prejudice, or barriers, NOW, |
| 45 | THEREFORE, |
| 46 |
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| 47 | Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of |
| 48 | Florida: |
| 49 |
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| 50 | That April 2011 is recognized as "Fair Housing Month" in |
| 51 | the State of Florida and that state and local governmental |
| 52 | leaders, along with communities and individual residents, are |
| 53 | encouraged to observe Fair Housing Month through ceremonies and |
| 54 | activities celebrating historical and future efforts to ensure |
| 55 | fair and equal access to housing for all Florida residents. |