Photos above are from Denise Franklin's 280 square foot cottage near Oliver British Colombia. She had the home built for $28,000. All building materials were sourced from within 100 miles of the site.
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46th anniversary of the landmark 1968 Fair Housing Act and the 17thAnniversary of the passage of the Garland Fair Housing Ordinance.
April 2014 marks the 46th anniversary of the landmark 1968 Fair Housing Act and the 17thAnniversary of the passage of the Garland Fair Housing Ordinance. The Fair Housing services of Garland are celebrating the significant accomplishments of the various Fair Housing Laws and reconfirming our community’s commitment to upholding fair housing standards.
Join them for a celebratory and informative lunch on April 8, 2014. The event is free but registration is required and is designed for property managers, landlords, community leaders, elected officials, civil rights leaders, city planners, HUD representatives, fair housing agencies and other interested parties.
For more details, Visit this link: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=ndzeipdab&oeidk=a07e8z7ro8t283a0184
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We still have miles to go . . .
Comments from the Peanut Gallery: Regarding the Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act, in my opinion, has indeed helped thousands of people over the years to gain access to housing they need and legally qualify to have. And, of course, while there are still issues regarding the enforcement of this law, there are few who would deny that it has shaped and changed America's viewpoint for the better regarding "acceptable" behavior toward others. It is always good to question the criteria governing the exclusion of others because many times we will learn the criteria is invalid and based on irrational and unsubstantiated beliefs stemming from fear and ignorance.
Frankly, it comes down to answering two questions: Do others have the right to hate me? I guess they do. But do they, because of their hatred, have a right to deny me access to benefits that I legally qualify for (outside of their hatred)? In a democratic society, governed by just laws for all, the answer to that question must be "no."
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Affordable Housing Is a Challenge
I regard affordable housing as our largest challenge--especially for the city of Garland. We have an almost overwhelming need. Effective August 9, 2009 at 12:01 a.m., the Garland Housing Agency no longer accepts applications for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program because the need is too great–many more people need affordable housing than housing is available. Even today over a thousand people are still on the existing waiting list. This is not acceptable. We can do better.
Instead of relying on assistance from Washington or Austin (because frankly, foks, it 'ain't' coming) we might put our combined skills together as a community and design our own unique solutions for affordable housing. To begin, accomplishing this might require some of us to rethink our idea of "home"--particularly when it comes to size. Here in the USA, we tend to associate size with success: the bigger home you have, the more successful you are; the bigger car you drive and the more cars you have, the more successful you are; etc.
Members of Loving Garland Green are hoping to work with other nonprofits and community agencies to build a model micro village for our community. Micro villagess are another level of community located on a level somewhere in between Neighborhood and family. They make affordable housing and sustainable living along with all the amenities of home ownership possible. Because of their own micro community garden, the home owners in the micro village are able to stretch their earnings even further. Rethink mortgage as a $20,000 to $30,000 commitment--sometimes less than we now pay for an automobile.
Here is more information to assist in understanding about Micro Villages. If you like what you read, you can call me at 972-571-4497 and tell me what you are willing to do about making affordable housing possible in Garland, Tx. What can you bring to the table?