| 1 | | - | R-97 Page 1 of 2 |
|---|
| 2 | | - | 2025 |
|---|
| 3 | | - | |
|---|
| 4 | | - | VT LEG #382524 v.1 |
|---|
| 5 | | - | No. R-97. House concurrent resolution recognizing April 2025 as Fair Housing |
|---|
| 6 | | - | Month in Vermont. |
|---|
| 7 | | - | (H.C.R.77) |
|---|
| 8 | | - | Offered by Representatives Stevens of Waterbury, Bishop of Colchester, Bluemle of |
|---|
| 9 | | - | Burlington, Bos-Lun of Westminster, Brown of Richmond, Burrows of West Windsor, |
|---|
| 10 | | - | Campbell of St. Johnsbury, Cina of Burlington, Dodge of Essex, Garofano of Essex, |
|---|
| 11 | | - | Harrison of Chittenden, Headrick of Burlington, Howard of Rutland City, James of |
|---|
| 12 | | - | Manchester, Kleppner of Burlington, Kornheiser of Brattleboro, Krasnow of South |
|---|
| 13 | | - | Burlington, LaMont of Morristown, Logan of Burlington, McCann of Montpelier, McGill |
|---|
| 14 | | - | of Bridport, Olson of Starksboro, Pouech of Hinesburg, Priestley of Bradford, Satcowitz |
|---|
| 15 | | - | of Randolph, Scheu of Middlebury, Stone of Burlington, Tomlinson of Winooski, |
|---|
| 16 | | - | Waszazak of Barre City, Wood of Waterbury, and Yacovone of Morristown |
|---|
| 17 | | - | Offered by Senators Clarkson, Bongartz, Brock, Gulick, Hardy, Mattos, Perchlik, Ram |
|---|
| 18 | | - | Hinsdale, Watson, Weeks, and White |
|---|
| 19 | | - | Whereas, for generations, millions of Americans have been denied the housing of their |
|---|
| 20 | | - | choice because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or disability, and |
|---|
| 21 | | - | Whereas, on April 11, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of |
|---|
| 22 | | - | 1968, including Title VIII, known as the Fair Housing Act, and |
|---|
| 23 | | - | Whereas, Vermont’s 1987 Fair Housing Act, as amended, prohibits discrimination in |
|---|
| 24 | | - | the rental, sale, or financing of housing based on “race, sex, sexual orientation, gender |
|---|
| 25 | | - | identity, age, marital status, religious creed, color, national origin, or disability of a |
|---|
| 26 | | - | person, or because a person intends to occupy a dwelling with one or more minor |
|---|
| 27 | | - | children, or because a person is a recipient of public assistance, or because a person is a |
|---|
| 28 | | - | victim of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking,” as well as the denial of development |
|---|
| 29 | | - | permitting based on the income of prospective residents, making this law more protective |
|---|
| 30 | | - | than the federal statutes and among the most comprehensive in the nation, and |
|---|
| 31 | | - | Whereas, the Vermont Human Rights Commission (the Commission) was established |
|---|
| 32 | | - | in 1987 and tasked with enforcing Vermont’s Fair Housing Act, among other State |
|---|
| 33 | | - | antidiscrimination provisions, and |
|---|
| 34 | | - | Whereas, in 2024 and 2025, the Commission has experienced an increase in fair |
|---|
| 35 | | - | housing inquiries and has processed more fair housing complaints than ever before, and |
|---|
| 36 | | - | Whereas, in recent months, the federal government has drastically deprioritized fair |
|---|
| 37 | | - | housing enforcement and education and has attempted to reduce or eliminate funding for |
|---|
| 38 | | - | agencies and organizations working for fair housing, and |
|---|
| 39 | | - | Whereas, inclusive, welcoming, and affordable communities promote diversity and a |
|---|
| 40 | | - | climate conducive to economic development, and |
|---|
| 41 | | - | Whereas, the current housing crisis impacts all Vermonters and disproportionately |
|---|
| 42 | | - | impacts people in protected classes, and R-97 Page 2 of 2 |
|---|
| 43 | | - | 2025 |
|---|
| 44 | | - | |
|---|
| 45 | | - | VT LEG #382524 v.1 |
|---|
| 46 | | - | Whereas, the State of Vermont remains committed to ensuring that everyone who lives |
|---|
| 47 | | - | in Vermont is entitled to the protections of Vermont’s Fair Housing Act, now therefore |
|---|
| 48 | | - | be it |
|---|
| 1 | + | StateofVermont |
|---|
| 2 | + | HouseofRepresentatives |
|---|
| 3 | + | Montpelier,Vermont |
|---|
| 4 | + | ConcurrentHouseResolution |
|---|
| 5 | + | H.C.R.77 |
|---|
| 6 | + | OfferedbyRepresentativesStevensofWaterbury,BishopofColchester,BluemleofBurlington,Bos-LunofWestminster,Brown |
|---|
| 7 | + | ofRichmond,BurrowsofWestWindsor,CampbellofSt.Johnsbury,CinaofBurlington,DodgeofEssex,GarofanoofEssex, |
|---|
| 8 | + | HarrisonofChittenden,HeadrickofBurlington,HowardofRutlandCity,JamesofManchester,KleppnerofBurlington,Kornheiser |
|---|
| 9 | + | ofBrattleboro,KrasnowofSouthBurlington,LaMontofMorristown,LoganofBurlington,McCannofMontpelier,McGillof |
|---|
| 10 | + | Bridport,OlsonofStarksboro,PouechofHinesburg,PriestleyofBradford,SatcowitzofRandolph,ScheuofMiddlebury,Stoneof |
|---|
| 11 | + | Burlington,TomlinsonofWinooski,WaszazakofBarreCity,WoodofWaterbury,andYacovoneofMorristown |
|---|
| 12 | + | OfferedbySenatorsClarkson,Bongartz,Brock,Gulick,Hardy,Mattos,Perchlik,RamHinsdale,Watson,Weeks,andWhite |
|---|
| 13 | + | HouseconcurrentresolutionrecognizingApril2025asFairHousingMonthinVermont |
|---|
| 14 | + | Whereas,forgenerations,millionsofAmericanshavebeendeniedthehousingoftheirchoicebecauseoftheirrace,ethnicity, |
|---|
| 15 | + | religion,ordisability, and |
|---|
| 16 | + | Whereas,onApril11,1968,PresidentLyndonJohnsonsignedtheCivilRightsActof1968,includingTitleVIII,knownasthe |
|---|
| 17 | + | FairHousingAct, and |
|---|
| 18 | + | Whereas,Vermont’s1987FairHousingAct,asamended,prohibitsdiscriminationintherental,sale,orfinancingofhousing |
|---|
| 19 | + | basedon“race,sex,sexualorientation,genderidentity,age,maritalstatus,religiouscreed,color,nationalorigin,ordisabilityofa |
|---|
| 20 | + | person,orbecauseapersonintendstooccupyadwellingwithoneormoreminorchildren,orbecauseapersonisarecipientof |
|---|
| 21 | + | publicassistance,orbecauseapersonisavictimofabuse,sexualassault,orstalking,”aswellasthedenialofdevelopment |
|---|
| 22 | + | permittingbasedontheincomeofprospectiveresidents,makingthislawmoreprotectivethanthefederalstatutesandamongthe |
|---|
| 23 | + | mostcomprehensiveinthenation, and |
|---|
| 24 | + | Whereas,theVermontHumanRightsCommission(theCommission)wasestablishedin1987andtaskedwithenforcing |
|---|
| 25 | + | Vermont’sFairHousingAct,amongotherStateantidiscriminationprovisions, and |
|---|
| 26 | + | Whereas,in2024and2025,theCommissionhasexperiencedanincreaseinfairhousinginquiriesandhasprocessedmorefair |
|---|
| 27 | + | housingcomplaintsthaneverbefore, and |
|---|
| 28 | + | Whereas,inrecentmonths,thefederalgovernmenthasdrasticallydeprioritizedfairhousingenforcementandeducationandhas |
|---|
| 29 | + | attemptedtoreduceoreliminatefundingforagenciesandorganizationsworkingforfairhousing, and |
|---|
| 30 | + | Whereas,inclusive,welcoming,andaffordablecommunitiespromotediversityandaclimateconducivetoeconomic |
|---|
| 31 | + | development, and |
|---|
| 32 | + | Whereas,thecurrenthousingcrisisimpactsallVermontersanddisproportionatelyimpactspeopleinprotectedclasses, and |
|---|
| 33 | + | Whereas,theStateofVermontremainscommittedtoensuringthateveryonewholivesinVermontisentitledtotheprotections |
|---|
| 34 | + | ofVermont’sFairHousingAct,nowthereforebeit |
|---|