It’s Your City with Kate Zook of Silver State Fair Housing Council
This week's guest on It's Your City is Kate Zook of the Silver State Fair Housing Council, a private non-profit agency based in Carson City that advocates for equal access to housing in Nevada.
As executive director of the council, Zook explains how the agency advocates for fair housing by providing a comprehensive program of outreach, education, and enforcement activities for consumers and housing providers.
“We welcome all calls from everyone involved in housing transactions, we are happy to talk to owners of property, property managers, real estate professionals as well as consumers who are looking for housing or housing situations where they may have questions,” she said of the council which formed in 1989.
By addressing the needs of housing consumers, housing providers, and local governments, the council works to break down barriers to equal housing opportunity and build opportunities for community members to relate to each other as neighbors, she said.
The agency provides six regular training sessions annually for housing providers.
The ABCs of Fair Housing for Real Estate and Property Management Professionals is a three hour continuing education course accredited by Nevada Real Estate Commission and the Commission on Common-Interest Communities and Hotel Condominiums.
The training is designed to provide real estate licensees, property managers, homeowners’ associations, office staff and maintenance employees with resources and tools to recognize and address potential fair housing issues.
Topics include basic fair housing information, families with children, advertising, and fair housing protections for persons with disabilities. All participants receive an comprehensive packet of information and resources, as well as a certificate of participation.
Silver State Fair Housing Council is not a state or federal agency. It doesn’t provide legal advice “but we will be giving you information based on years of working as components of legal housing opportunity,” said Zook.
Over the half of the work the agency does is with people with disabilities.
“Despite the fact that fair housing laws were passed in 1968 we see housing descrimination issues across the state and across the country every single day,” she said.
If you suspect housing discrimination or would like more information, call 775-324-0990, 888-585-8634 toll-free, Relay Nevada 711 or email fairhousing@ssfhc.org. You can also access the website here.
It's Your City is a weekly program aimed at keeping citizens informed about city government, organizations and happenings around Carson City, Nev. Go here to learn more about Access Carson City Television.
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