8th Annual Fair Housing Summit slated for Thursday

 Glenn Harris is the luncheon keynote speaker for the 2010 Fair Housing Summit being held at Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center on Thursday, April 22, 2010.  He is the Manager of the City of Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI).  The Initiative works to eliminate institutionalized racism in City government and promote multiculturalism and full participation by all residents.

Glenn previously served four years as the Southeast District Coordinator for the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.  Southeast is one of Seattle’s most diverse neighborhoods; 80% of residents are people of color and of those 40% are recent immigrants.  As the liaison between the City and the many diverse communities within southeast Seattle, Glenn worked with residents, neighborhood groups, business associations, and issue-based organizations to inform the community of City program and policies, while also responding to residents’ interests.

Glenn came to City government after four years association with Western States Center, a Portland-based nonprofit that provides technical assistance, training, research and policy analysis in an eight-state region to organizations working to achieve social change.  Glenn was the Center’s development director and anti-racism trainer.

The City of Seattle Race and Social Justice Initiative builds on the work of the civil rights movement and the ongoing efforts of individuals and groups in Seattle to confront racism.  The Initiative’s long-term goal is to change the underlying system that creates race-based disparities in our community in order to achieve racial equity.

In addition to Harris, presenting at the Summit are:  James Perry, Executive Director of the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, James Gilmore, CEO of Bayard Research Group LLC, Rhonda Jackson, Manager of OXFAM America Gulfcoast Program, Atty. Marla N. Williams, Executive Director of Louisiana Housing Alliance, Kenyetta Nelson-Smith, Assistant Specialist of Community and Economic Development at the Southern University Ag Center, and Edward Ashworth, Louisiana Budget Project Director for LANO.

Seven sessions will convene including four tracks of training for participants.  Workshop topics and panel discussions will include:  Community Benefits Agreements; A Portrait of Louisiana; and Residential, Rental, Lending and Insurance Housing Issues. 

Co-sponsors for this event are:  UREC, Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Capital One, Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless, Louisiana Housing Alliance, The Homeownership Center, Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, Wells Fargo, Greater Baton Rouge Community and Economic Development Coalition, and Louisiana Housing Community Economic Development Collaborative.

For additional information, contact UREC at (225) 356-8871 ext. 211 or visit  www.urecbr.com to download the registration form from UREC’s Resource Library.