That's the promise of the American Dream. But for too many families, it's a nightmare of harassment, threats, intimidation, and even violence. Fortunately, federal, state, and local fair housing laws protect the rights of all people to live in the home and community of their own choosing. Keeping the promise takes more than enforcing these laws-important as that is. It takes communities taking action to prevent, respond to, and reconcile the tensions that arise when people exercise their fair housing rights. Catalyzing this community response is the purpose of CommUNITY 2000, a national collaboration among the Leadership Conference Education Fund, the National Fair Housing Alliance, and local advocacy groups in Boston, Chicago, San Diego, and North Carolina's Triangle Region.
"I commend the effective efforts of the Leadership Conference Education Fund and the National Fair Housing Alliance in creating CommUNITY 2000. They're working closely with community groups to end housing discrimination and promote education programs to ease racial and ethnic and other tensions that often lead to hate crimes."
- U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, (D) Massachusetts
The Local Partners
Through CommUNITY 2000, the Leadership Conference Education Fund and the National Fair Housing Alliance are working closely with the Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston, Access Living, the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities, the Fair Housing Council of San Diego, and a Regional Working Group in North Carolina to establish model programs to prevent and respond to fair housing-related tensions in Boston, Chicago, San Diego, and North Carolina's Triangle Region.
The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government.
