In celebration of Fair Housing Month, on April 28th, Regional Administrator José Alvarez and Field Office Director Shea Johnson were joined by Vanessa Mahan, an Equal Opportunity Specialist for Region IV's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, to meet with The Housing Authority of Columbus, Georgia for a tour of affordable housing properties in Columbus. During the tour, the team got an opportunity to tour two affordable housing properties.

After the tour, Regional Administrator José Alvarez, Field Office Director Shea Johnson, and Vanessa Mahan joined Metro Fair Housing Services, Inc.'s Executive Director, Gail Williams, for her Basic Principles of Fair Housing Laws training to over 65 Public Housing Authority leaders and employees that were in attendance. During this training, Field Office Director Shea Johnson welcomed the participants and provided an overview of HUD's regional departments and their roles in assisting PHAs with their day-to-day work. Regional Administrator José Alvarez provided the welcome and discussed the significance of Fair Housing Month and the progress HUD has made toward advancing housing to expand and protect fair housing rights for future generations.

Before the training kicked off, Vanessa Mahan provided insight into the role of HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in their mission to eliminate housing discrimination and achieve diverse, inclusive communities. She highlighted the Enforcement Division and its role in receiving housing discrimination complaints and conducting investigations, and noted that the top filed cases within Region IV dealt with disability and reasonable accommodations. Vanessa stressed the importance of Fair Housing compliance training and the knowledge it provides to Public Housing Authorities. She encouraged the crowd of PHA leaders and employees to stay engaged with the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, to be diligent in providing equitable housing services to all residents, and be proactive in accommodating those with disabilities.

During the training, Regional Administrator Alvarez was presented with a proclamation from Columbus, Georgia, Mayor B.H. Henderson III, highlighting the 55 years after the Fair Housing Act's passage, declaring April 2023 Fair Housing Month.

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