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We Are Here Today Because We Are Tired

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We Are Here Today Because We Are Tired "We are here today because we are tired. We are tired of paying more for less. We are tired of living in rat-infested slums... We are tired of having to pay a median rent of $97 a month in Lawndale for four rooms while whites living in South Deering pay $73 a month for five rooms. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children." Dr. King, 1966, Chicago Solider Field Stadium as part of the Chicago Open Housing Movement Team HOC, I hope 2016 is off to a fantastic start! As you enjoy your day off or day of service in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I want to take the opportunity to acknowledge Dr. King’s housing work and legacy. Dr. King was among the most notable spokesmen for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement. His work in the movement successfully protested racial discrimination and ultimately led to monumental changes in federal and state laws. Many called for establishing a federal holiday in Dr. King’s honor almost immediately following his 1968 assassination. President Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed in 1986 (three years later). It took 32 years for the holiday to be observed in all 50 states, which didn't occur until 2000. One of Dr. King's least acknowledged accomplishments is Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, more commonly known as the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale and rental of housing. Dr. King's housing legacy was kicked off in 1966 with the Chicago Freedom Movement (also known as the Chicago Open Housing Movement). After a number of victories to end racial segregation in the south, Dr. King traveled north to begin a new effort in the struggle for equality - improving the deplorable living conditions of the urban poor. Dr. King spoke to 35,000 supporters at Chicago's Soldier Field Stadium and gave the speech in which he emphasized the quote above. While this speech is not as famous as Dr. King’s "I Have a Dream” speech, his words sparked a movement and legitimized the need to focus on improving affordable housing in Chicago and across the country. On the day of the rally, Dr. King delivered a list of demands to Chicago's City Hall. These demands called for local politicians and business leaders to end discriminatory lending, clean up slums, rehabilitate decrepit public housing and increase the supply of affordable housing. The movement was visionary and included aspects of opportunity that are still part of our work today, including demands to improve access to (i) jobs; (ii) quality education; and (iii) public transportation in low-income neighborhoods. In August 1966, activists and city officials reached a “summit agreement," in which the Chicago Housing Authority promised to build more public housing and the Mortgage Bankers Association agreed to implement anti-discrimination rules. Just one week (April 1968) after Dr. King's assassination, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act, which prohibited discrimination in the sale and rental of housing. Forty seven years later, the Fair Housing Act is in place but only recently enacted implementing regulations through HUD's Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule. We remain a long way off from realizing Dr. King's housing vision. Sadly, Black and Hispanic families remain twice as likely to live in poverty and continue to fall victim to discriminatory housing practices. And the consequences of social, economic and geographic inequality are becoming greater and more urgent. For example, the typical black or Hispanic renter seeking housing is shown 11 percent fewer apartments than a white renter with similar qualifications, according to a 2012 HUD survey. After signing the Chicago summit agreement, Dr. King called it “the first step in a thousand mile journey.” Perhaps, Dr. King was prescient, but I am hopeful that it will not take a thousand years to traverse these thousand miles. It may sound daunting, but the work of HOC is an important part of the continuation of Dr. King's vision. Stacy L. Spann, Executive Director .
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