The Fair Housing Foundation hosted a Fair Housing Workshop on Nov. 9 at the Norwalk Social Services Center from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The workshop was a free event that educated tenants, landlords, managers, property owners, attorneys, realtors and management companies about their rights and responsibilities.

During the workshop, there were 14 topics were discussed such as California Fair Employment & Housing Act, Section 504, disability and new laws including COVID-19 & AB 1482 and commonly prohibited practices.

Alicia Nguyen, outreach coordinator explained, “The following are the most common prohibited practices. Refusal to sell because of someone’s race, color, religion, national origin and so forth.”

Nguyen informed the visitors that landlords who require a larger deposit or charge higher rent to tenants who have large families or who have children are considered discriminating.

Another topic that Nguyen mentioned is the Uniform Housing Code which provides a minimum standard and requires units to have a habitable room except for the kitchen.

Nguyen shared her thoughts about why this workshop is important for the community.

“A large majority of the community don’t know their rights as a tenant and even as a landlord,” The outreach coordinator said, “They don’t know what to do in terms of dealing with difficult tenants.”

“The law changes all the time. It’s good to keep them informed because they make better decisions for themselves and for the community.”

“We are here to keep the community informed because if you know your rights, you know your options,” Nguyen said.

The Fair Housing Foundation is an educational organization that was founded in 1964 and has been providing services to the community. In the past, the workshops were in-person, but it has transitioned to Zoom.

The foundation offers a rental counseling program that one can join. In order for one to join, he or she needs to follow these steps:

1. Set a free appointment with a HUD-certified counselor

2. Assess your housing and financial situation

3. Create a personalized budget and set financial goals

4. Manage your debt and improve your credit

5. Learn about your housing rights and options

After one follows the steps above, one may earn a $50 gift card.

The Fair Housing Foundation has workshops every Tuesday through Zoom and can be registered from their website under the events tab.

For more information about the rental counseling program, contact the Fair Housing Foundation via their contact us page, which has their email and phone number.