February 10
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11:30 am
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1:30 pm
Fair housing ensures that more people have access to quality schools, good jobs, and other key services that help them realize their potential and strengthen our community. By promoting diversity, fair housing also enhances the fabric of our neighborhoods.
That is why The Fair Housing Center was founded in 1975: to help unlock the doors of opportunity for our community. The Center is a national leader in efforts to eliminate housing discrimination and enforce fair housing laws. Its work helps ensure that every person has access to safe and affordable housing regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, familial status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, or immigration status.
The Fair Housing Center will be a leading visible force in preventing, correcting, and eliminating discriminatory housing practices. To achieve our vision, the Center works as a trusted community resource, engaging in education and outreach, advocacy for anti-discriminatory housing policies, mediation, research and investigation, and enforcement actions.
Our speakers will be Christina Rodriguez, Esq. & Logyn Taylor-Thompson from the Toledo Fair Housing Center
Free
Earlier this week it was reported in the news that the Lucas County Board of Commissioners and the City of Maumee were talking about the county giving the Lucas County Recreation Center to Maumee. If a sale or transfer takes place, the Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie thinks the county should get something in returnlike affordable housing.
President Douglas Berger sent a note to the Commissioners and copy to the Mayor of Maumee urge the county to add some conditions to any sale or transfer.
Here is the full text of the note:
I am writing to you on behalf of the members of the Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie (SHoWLE) concerning the plan to give the city of Maumee the Lucas County Recreation Center property at 2901 Key Street.
We are concerned that the county is considering giving away this valuable piece of property so that the city of Maumee can sell it to the highest bidder for high end homes and condos.
We believe this is unfair to the citizens of Lucas county. Large sums of county tax dollars were spent and have been spent on the structures and other amenities on the property.
We do agree that if the county doesn’t have the funds to continue the upkeep then the Commissioners should consider disposing of the property, but we feel that Lucas county citizens should get something in return.
SHoWLE has some suggestions on any disposal of the property:
1. Any sale or transfer should include a requirement that there be some affordable housing in the development mix. The county needs affordable housing and the Commissioners should do what they can to create more affordable housing.
2. Any disposal should be done at the market rate. Why should the city of Maumee make a profit off the county giving the land away? If they build houses on the land the city will gain tax dollars.
3. It would be better for the citizens of Lucas county that the county sells the land directly to a developer(s) at market rates, so the people of the county get back some of the money invested in the property over the years.
4. The county could consider putting the new jail on the Rec Center property.
SHoWLE hopes the county will take our ideas and concerns into consideration especially about including affordable housing in any sale or transfer.
