April is National Fair Housing Month and the City of Austin Office of Civil Rights is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act that marks the landmark civil rights law signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968.  

The Fair Housing Conference will be hosted on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at the Norris Conference Center located at 2525 W. Anderson Lane, Suite 365 (Bus route 803) from 8 – 4 p.m. 

The Fair Housing Act made discrimination in housing transactions unlawful and prohibits discrimination in housing because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, and familial status. The Act intends to provide fair housing throughout the country.  

“The City of Austin’s Fair Housing Conference will feature a full day of conversations including topics on legal updates and current issues in fair housing, along with conversations on creating communities of opportunity and providing an opportunity to assess how far we have come with fair housing,” said Tamela Saldana Ph.D., Interim Director of the Office of Civil Rights.  

The Office of Civil Rights is also honored to announce that Candace Valenzuela, Southwest Regional Administrator of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be the keynote speaker at this year’s conference, speaking to confronting challenges that our communities face.

The event is free and open to the public and will have a complimentary lunch for attendees.  Anyone interested in attending the conference should register online at  https://bit.ly/FHC0423 or call 512-974-3251 by Friday, April 21, 2023 to ensure their spot.

You can also find additional information about the City of Austin’s Office of Civil Rights on their website.