April is Fair Housing Month
April 11, 2021 marks the 53rd Anniversary of Title VIII of the Civil Rights act of 1968, known as the Civil Rights Fair Housing Act. This Act provides equal housing opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, sex or national origin, as well as to ensure fair practice in the sale, rental or financing of property. The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 added new rights, remedies, monetary penalties and strengthened the Act's enforcement procedures.
The Borough of Lansdowne recognizes the particular contributions of past and present Lansdowne residents since 1956 who worked to build local support for state and national fair housing laws, embracing the integration of their neighborhoods and advocating for a diverse and welcoming community. This group of residents formed the Southeast Delaware County Area Committee of Friends Suburban Housing, later renamed the Committee for Democracy in Housing of Lansdowne and Vicinity in 1957, the Lansdowne-Upper Darby Fair Housing Council in 1976 and currently, the Housing Equality Center of Southeastern Pennsylvania. The current organization advocates for equal housing, the end of segregationist housing policies and the protection of Black residents moving into communities in Easter Delaware County.
Read the history of the Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania and the part Lansdowne played in its formation HERE