Fair Housing and Housing Discrimination Is A Topic Of Concern In Pennsylvania

Housing discrimination is defined as patterns of discrimination that affect a person’s ability to buy or rent housing. This form of discrimination can be used against race, marital status, and even parental status. As a result, housing discrimination has become a widespread issue. In response, The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC), the state’s leading civil rights enforcement agency, has issued the following release:

The PHRC will play host to the 2022 Housing Equality Conference: Ensuring Justice for All at 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on June 14 at the Harrisburg Hilton, located at One 2nd Street. The keynote speaker, Dr. Andre Perry, will discuss his work on the topic of appraisal bias: “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Properties in America’s Cities.”  

“This free in-person conference event will provide the opportunity to network, share ideas, and work towards improving housing opportunities for Pennsylvanians. Seating is limited, so we encourage everyone to register today,” said conference organizer Brittany Mellinger, PHRC’s Fair Housing Educational Outreach Coordinator. “We’ll be joined by state and national fair housing experts, developers, educators, and leaders in discussions about affordable housing development, LGBTQ+ housing rights and challenges, the impacts of redlining, and the connection between housing and education.”

PHRC plays a key role in ensuring housing justice and opportunities for citizens of the Commonwealth. “As the state’s top civil rights enforcement agency, we realized the importance of expanding our fair housing division, and over the past two years, we have added a fair housing director and a dedicated education and outreach coordinator,” said Chad Dion Lassiter, MSW, Executive Director of the PHRC. “We are creating new partnerships with like-minded housing agencies, advocates, and associations across the state and have made exponential gains in our outreach efforts. We encourage anyone with an interest in affirmatively furthering fair housing in the Commonwealth to attend this year’s conference.”

The agency’s Director of Fair Housing and Commercial Property, Adrian Garcia, added: “To eradicate housing discrimination, we need to get at the root of the problem and find long-lasting solutions. That’s a discussion we hope to advance during this conference. Our goal is to use this conference as a launching pad for continued in-depth conversations and initiatives that will promote meaningful change in how the Commonwealth looks at housing justice.”

To register and find conference details, visit: PHRC Housing Equality Conference (constantcontact.com).

Questions should be directed to Brittany Mellinger at bmellinger@pa.gov.

PHRC urges anyone who has experienced acts of discrimination or hate to file a complaint with the PHRC by calling 717-787-4410. Information and resources are also available at www.PHRC.pa.gov.

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