The surge of hate activity in communities all over the country following the 2016 elections has created an urgency for us to do something more to protect one another and foster peace and acceptance in our neighborhoods.  In the US, hate crimes are more likely to occur at a residence than any other location – 31.57% of hate incidents happen at someone’s home. That is almost double the rate of the next most likely place – a highway, road, or alley.  But most victims of hate activity who are harassed, threatened, intimidated, or whose home or apartment is vandalized, do not report it — in part because they do not know that the federal Fair Housing Act protects them.

We need your help to turn that around.  The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) has joined the Communities Against Hate Initiative to help collect reports of neighborhood hate activity so we can dramatically increase documented numbers of hate crimes and activity.  We want to ensure that victims get both the critical help they need and everyone gets information about legal protections.

NFHA has already released several resources for community groups to better understand the Fair Housing Act and the mechanisms available to fight housing-related hate. By joining Communities Against Hate, we are adding another arrow in our quiver to fight hate. Led by The Leadership Conference Education Fund and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, Communities Against Hate is a coalition of diverse national civil rights organizations and neighborhood groups that are coming together to provide a safe place for survivors of hate activity to share their stories and to get the help they need.

By reporting hate actions on the dedicated website or by phone, we can generate better data on the issue of hate, particularly housing-related hate, in our nation and use that data to become better service providers, advocates and generate more support for victims of hate crimes.  We can also tap in to a network of resources that are in place to provide a rapid-response to hate activity of any form. NFHA and its operating members will also be listed as a resource for victims of housing-related hate activity.

Sincerely,

Shanna L. Smith

President and CEO National Fair Housing Alliance

Please help us fight back and resist hate activity by:

• Reporting incidents of hate using the “Report Hate” form
• Assisting your clients and constituents in using the form to report hate activity
• Sharing this information and the resources NFHA has provided with your clients and constituents
• Uploading NFHA’s Fight Hate materials onto your website to provide resources to your local community