(MOSCOW) Fair housing is essential for a healthy community, but the issue is complex for the housing professionals, service providers, and local representatives who make it a reality in Idaho. The Fair Housing Conference, an annual event held during Fair Housing Month in April, offers a series of in-depth seminars on important housing topics in a one-day forum.

The 2009 Fair Housing Conference will be held on April 3 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the University of Idaho Law School in Moscow. The free conference is open to anyone interested in fair housing—including property owners and managers, law students, tribal representatives, fair housing advocates, non-profits, REALTORS®, lenders, government officials, and private citizens. Seating is limited, so registration is required.

This year’s topics include:

• Fair housing basics (REALTOR® continuing education credit available)
• Native American affairs
• Reasonable accommodations and modification
• Advanced fair housing issues
• Support animals
• A roundtable discussion on strategies for communities and non-profits

Diane Nelson, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Housing Equal Opportunity Hub Director, will be the keynote speaker for the event. Richard Seamon, the associate dean for the University of Idaho Law School, will give a welcome address.

The conference is organized by members of the Idaho Fair Housing Forum to recognize Fair Housing Month and reinforce the rights and responsibilities that ensure equal access to housing for all Americans. Fair Housing Month celebrates the enactment of the Fair Housing Act on April 11, 1968. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, disability, or familial status.

Sponsors include Idaho Fair Housing Forum, Idaho Housing and Finance Association, Moscow Fair and Affordable Housing Commission, University of Idaho Law School, Idaho State Bar Diversity Section, the cities of Lewiston, Boise, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, and Nampa, with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

For more information on fair housing news and events, or to register for the conference, visit www.fairhousingforum.org.

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Idaho Housing and Finance Association, a financial services and housing business organization, provides funding for affordable housing in Idaho communities where it is most needed and when it is economically feasible. For more information, visit our Web site at www.ihfa.org.