In honor of National Fair Housing Month, the Southwest Georgia Housing Task Force, located in Colquitt, Ga., will be having presentations on what fair housing is and how it affects housing in communities.

April is National Fair Housing Month for 2009. The month commemorates the anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, which was signed into law on April 11, 1968, by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The bill brought the promise of equal housing for all Americans, making illegal any discrimination in the sale, lease or rental of housing or making housing otherwise unavailable because of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability or familial status.

“Every person should know their rights,” said Lauren Miller, assistant director of Southwest Georgia Housing Task Force. “The Southwest Georgia Housing Task Force was established to bring a greater awareness to housing opportunities and housing issues.”

Illegal housing discrimination can take many forms; Realtors showing apartments of homes only in certain area, advertising housing only to preferred groups of people, denials of property insurance, discriminatory property appraisals or refusals to make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities.

To learn more about the Fair Housing Act or other available housing resources, you can contact Lauren Miller at (229) 522-3552.