Fair Housing, Lending Workshop Held In Stamford

From the Building 1 Community: The Center for Immigrant Opportunity (B1C) in partnership with the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, held a Fair Housing and Fair Lending Workshop for immigrants on Saturday, January 5. Approximately 50 immigrants attended to learn about their housing and lending rights.

The results of an Immigrant Community Needs Assessment conducted by B1C found that affordable housing is the number one self-assessed need identified by Stamford immigrants. In Fairfield County where housing prices are high, it is especially challenging for mixed status immigrant families and undocumented individuals to secure affordable housing. These findings prompted B1C and the Connecticut Fair Housing Center to organize an educational workshop for immigrants.

Presenters Fionnuala Darby-Hudgens, Attorney Loraine Martinez Bellamy, and Attorney Sarah White from the Connecticut Fair Housing Center focused their presentation on the protections provided by the Fair Housing Act and how to identify possible housing discrimination and report it. They also shared information about fair lending because immigrants are seen as easy prey by not only predatory landlords, but also predatory lenders. Since families of color and families with
limited English are often steered towards expensive federally subsidized mortgages, the presenters made sure that attendees were aware of their options.

Several audience members participated in the Q&A session that followed the presentation, inquiring about topics such as discrimination based on familial status. An example of discrimination based on familial status is families being required to pay security deposits for the presence of children in the home. Audience members also expressed wanting help navigating the rental market.

Housing discrimination is prominent in Connecticut. The Connecticut Fair Housing Center receives 1,500 calls a year from residents reporting possible housing discrimination. Housing discrimination is also demonstrated by the fact that 65% of Connecticut’s families of color live in 8% of the state’s communities. Connecticut also has the fifth highest foreclosure rate in the country. According to the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, neighborhoods of color remain the hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis. Often times, these are the neighborhoods where immigrant families live.

Fionnuala Darby-Hudgens, presenter and Community Education and Outreach Coordinator from the Connecticut Fair Housing Center said, “Safe, affordable, and fair housing is a critical need for every individual and family, and I find everyone is eager to learn more about it.”

Photo caption: Presenters from the Connecticut Fair Housing Center inform immigrants of their housing and lending rights during a workshop at Building One Community.