WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia is proud to join the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the United States Department of Justice in commemorating the 47th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 - the Fair Housing Act; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the month of April 2015, special emphasis will be given to the law and spirit of cooperation being provided through the efforts of our State, Federal and local governments and with the support of many municipalities, community and nonprofit organizations; and
WHEREAS, Even through this nondiscriminatory policy is the law of the land, its proper enforcement requires the continued cooperation of all levels of government, real estate, insurance, public housing, homebuilding industries and private citizens; and
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia is committed to empowering its private citizens, employees, public housing and nonprofit organizations with the knowledge and tools to recognize housing discrimination; and
WHEREAS, To reduce and mitigate housing discrimination in Philadelphia, the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Housing, Neighborhood Development and the Homeless recommended the formation of the (e)Quality Housing Working Group, which established a forum, including three subcommittees for housing providers, tenant representatives, fair housing non-profit organizations, and government officials and agencies to discuss issues germane to housing discrimination; and
WHEREAS, Promoting equal housing opportunity is essential to our larger mission of promoting freedom and justice in all areas of life and for all citizens, and equal housing opportunity has a dramatic impact on community and understanding of age, ancestry, color, disability, domestic/sexual violence, ethnicity, gender identity, familial status, national origin, race, religion, retaliation, sex, sex orientation, and source of income diversity; now, therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, that the Council recognizes the month of April 2015 as Fair Housing Month.
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