On October 3, 2013, the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) launched a national, cutting-edge public service announcement campaign, the National Fair Housing Media Campaign, designed to engage and educate people about their rights as homeowners and tenants. The campaign is national but will go deep into eight target markets, including Los Angeles, Washington DC, Denver, and Chicago.
The Resurrection Project (TRP) was tabbed by NALCAB to conduct the Chicago outreach for this national campaign.
The National Fair Housing Media Campaign will engage and inform African-American, Latino, Asian Pacific Islanders, and other communities about discriminatory housing practices, their rights under the federal Fair Housing Act, and HUD resources. According to research, minority homebuyers and tenants are not always aware when they have been subjected to discrimination or even of their rights and protections afforded by the Fair Housing Act.
The campaign features multilingual TV and radio ads that depict people asserting their rights in a strong, confident manner. One ad features a single mother having a conversation with a landlord who is asking inappropriate questions about her rental needs; she ends the conversation by handing him the phone, telling him it’s HUD, and that they will “want to speak” to him. The ads are designed to empower people with confidence and the knowledge that the law is on their side.

Since the start of the campaign on October 3, TRP has worked to disseminate the message to audiences across Chicago by launching an aggressive social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter. In addition, TRP’s Property Management team has placed campaign posters throughout TRP’s rental properties and other high-traffic community areas. The goal is to maximize the exposure these ads get so that more people become aware of their rights.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of:
• Race or color
• National origin
• Religion
• Sex
• Familial status (families with children)
• Disability
 
If you or someone you know is experiencing housing discrimination, you can file an online complaint at www.hud.gov/fairhousing or call The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 800-765-9372.

Return to Nueva Vida October 2013 here.