April 26, 2023 - The City of Fort Wayne’s Metropolitan Human Relations Commission and the City of Fort Wayne’s Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services today hosted the 2023 Fair Housing Summit at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Conference Center, 4000 Parnell Ave.
The annual event featured keynote speaker Dr. Andre M. Perry, author of Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives & Property in Americas Black Cities and coauthor of the groundbreaking 2018 Brookings Institution report The Devaluation of Assets in Black Neighborhoods. Dr. Perry is a nationally known and respected commentator on race, structural inequality, education, and economic inclusion.
“Fair hosusing is a key component to the success of a city and seeing our community come together to learn more about this topic shows that we are committed to improving the lives of Fort Wayne residents,” said Nikki Quintana, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission.
“Each year we bring community leaders and experts together to discuss fair housing topics to educate and empower advocates. It provides the opportunity to share resources and work together to spread knowledge about fair housing laws, housing rights, and housing discrimination,” said Kelly Lundberg, Director of the Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services.
More than 350 people registered for the event. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from fair housing experts during various workshops. The topics of these workshops included:
- Impacts of Housing Discrimination
- Disability Legal Update
- Equity for All: A Community Study
- How Criminal History Can Be a Fair Housing Issue
- Neighborhoods: Why They Matter
- Addressing Affordable Housing in Fort Wayne
- Fort Wayne Evictions Post Pandemic
The Gold sponsors for the event are Premier Bank and UPSTAR Upstate Alliance of REALTORS®, along with Silver sponsors First Source Bank and Bronze sponsors Lake City Bank and Old National Bank.
Fort Wayne Metro’s mission is to enforce civil rights laws and empower the citizens of Fort Wayne through education on diversity and discrimination issues. The City’s Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services works to attract and support housing investment throughout the community and expand access to safe, quality, affordable housing. The department also partners with local non-profit organizations to address critical needs in the community.