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Workshops

9:30– 11:00 Workshop Session I

• The Foreclosure Crisis : Moving Forward

This workshop will discuss both local and nationwide efforts in response to the ongoing foreclosure crisis as well as the resources available for homeowners and tenants in need of counseling or assistance. Panelists scheduled to appear include: Kevin Stein – California Reinvestment Coalition Maeve Elise Brown – Housing and Economic Rights Advocates

• Children at Play : Families, Home Day Cares, and Hostile Environments

This workshop will focus on the common fair housing issues that families with children and day care providers face in the rental market. Examples of these issues include insurance refusals, hostile environments, overly restrictive occupancy limits and overly restrictive rules regarding where or how children can play at rental properties. Panelists scheduled to appear include: Susan Saylor – Department of Fair Employment and Housing Whitney Huston – Fair Housing Law Project



• Fair Housing Fundamentals : Fair Housing Basics for Beginners

This workshop will cover the origin and content of federal and state fair housing laws, including an explanation of the role of private and governmental fair housing organizations as well as ways for housing and service providers to identify and resolve fair housing issues. Panelists scheduled to appear include: Ann Marquart – Project Sentinel Jody Marshall – California Apartment Association, Tri-County Division Susan Sheftel – Department of Fair Employment and Housing

11:15– 12:45 Workshops Session II

• Immigration : New Residents, New Laws, and New Questions

This workshop will discuss the practical interpretations of AB 976 and its impact on the housing arena. Also covered are federal and local immigration laws that cause fair housing problems. Panelists scheduled to appear include: Ilene Jacobs – California Rural Legal Assistance Liza Cristol-Deman – Brancart & Brancart

• Tenant, Landlord and Fair Housing Rights : What Happens When They Collide?

This workshop will focus on issues that arise when fair housing and tenant/landlord issues overlap. The discussion will cover issues such as tenant privacy, applicant screening procedures, and cultural differences in lifestyle that can lead to disputes. Panelists scheduled to appear include: Caroline Peattie – Fair Housing of Marin Jody Marshall – California Apartment Association, Tri-County Division Martin Eichner – Project Sentinel

• Reasonable Accommodations for Persons with Mental Disabilities : Companion Animals and Manic Episodes

This workshop will address housing and accommodation issues faced by persons with mental disabilities, like depression or bipolar disorder. A review of recent cases, best practices, and innovative approaches to these issues will also be included. Panelists scheduled to appear include: Liam Garland – Housing Rights Center (LA) Melissa Morris – Mental Health Advocacy Project Pam Cohen – Protection and Advocacy

• Internet Advertising : Fair Housing on the Web

This workshop will address recent developments in fair housing laws related to the internet, including internet advertising, the Craigslist.org and Roommates.com cases, and the Communications Decency Act. Panelists scheduled to appear include: Chris Brancart – Brancart & Brancart Kurt Opsahl – Electronic Frontier Foundation

• Criminality and Fair Housing : Criminal Background Checks and Police Enforcement

How does crime intersect with housing? This workshop will discuss selection criteria for landlords, the right to privacy, and recent issues involving targeted police enforcement in housing. Panelists scheduled to appear include: Elisabeth Voigt – Public Advocates Mark Janowitz – East Bay Community Law Clinic

• Impact Litigation : Fair Housing in Zoning and Affordable Housing

This workshop will discuss disparate impact litigation, both its potential and its pitfalls. The speakers will address issues of land use, affordable housing, and zoning, and will talk in depth about the scope of the impact and the proper use of data. Panelists scheduled to appear include: Mike Rawson – California Affordable Housing Law Project Liz Brancart – Brancart & Brancart Paul Smith – US Department of Housing and Urban Development

Workshops and panelists are subject to change. Questions? Call us at 888-FAIR-HOUSING (888-324-7468)