Bill Text: FL S1298 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Fair Housing Month
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-10 - Adopted [S1298 Detail]
Download: Florida-2013-S1298-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2013 (NP) SR 1298
By Senator Joyner
19-01670A-13 20131298__
1 Senate Resolution
2 A resolution recognizing April 2013 as “Fair Housing
3 Month” in Florida.
4
5 WHEREAS, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and the
6 Fair Housing Act of 1988 prohibit discrimination based on race,
7 color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial
8 status in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and
9 WHEREAS, in 1983, the Florida Legislature enacted the
10 Florida Fair Housing Act to ensure that the state make every
11 effort to provide fair housing to all residents of this state
12 and to prohibit discrimination in the sale or rental of any
13 dwelling because of race, color, national origin, sex, or
14 religion, and the act was amended in 1988 to include the bases
15 of disability and familial status, and
16 WHEREAS, the United States Department of Housing and Urban
17 Development has proclaimed April as “National Fair Housing
18 Month,” launching awareness campaigns to commemorate the
19 historical passage of this landmark legislation, increasing the
20 public’s understanding of the many protections of the Civil
21 Rights Act, and encouraging communities to remember and
22 celebrate more than 45 years of housing successes, and
23 WHEREAS, because government and private entities may pursue
24 certain practices that could have a disproportionately harmful
25 effect on minorities protected by the Fair Housing Act of 1968,
26 the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
27 recently issued regulations endorsing the use of “disparate
28 impact” standards that will serve as a powerful tool in
29 promoting fair housing opportunities, encouraging meaningful
30 housing integration, and ensuring fair and equal treatment in
31 the areas of mortgage lending, homeowners’ insurance,
32 exclusionary zoning, and admissions and redevelopment or
33 demolition practices in public housing, and
34 WHEREAS, the Florida Commission on Human Relations, as
35 statutorily authorized, conducts thorough and timely
36 investigations of housing discrimination complaints and, as a
37 result of its investigative efforts, has found that housing
38 discrimination continues to exist in this state, with
39 disability, race, national origin, familial status, and sex
40 constituting the top five bases for housing discrimination
41 during the 2011-2012 fiscal year, and
42 WHEREAS, the Florida Commission on Human Relations
43 continually strives to reach out and educate members of the
44 housing industry to ensure that they are informed of fair
45 housing laws and their responsibilities in educating the public
46 on housing rights and engaging in community partnerships so that
47 all persons are afforded every opportunity to be treated fairly
48 and are provided equal access to adequate and affordable housing
49 without undue discrimination, prejudice, or barriers, NOW,
50 THEREFORE,
51
52 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
53
54 That we recognize April 2013 as “Fair Housing Month” in
55 Florida and encourage state and local governmental leaders and
56 communities and individuals throughout this state to observe
57 Fair Housing Month through ceremonies and activities celebrating
58 historical and future efforts to ensure fair and equal access to
59 housing for all Floridians.
