(A) The Mayor and Board of Trustees endorses and supports the principle of fair and open housing, as set forth in Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 being 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e et seq., and the right of every person to have access to adequate housing of his or her own choice without regard to race, color, religion, HIV-positive persons, sex or national origin.
(B) The Mayor and Board of Trustees encourages all citizens to respect and support the law of the land in regard to the right of every person to have access to adequate housing of his or her own choice.
(C) The Mayor and Board of Trustees encourages all citizens to undertake voluntary actions to foster racial harmony, including individual and group decisions to promote fair and open housing and individual commitment to avoid discrimination in all sale and all rental of property.
(D) The Mayor and Board of Trustees will cooperate with the Local Housing Authority and nonprofit and limited dividend developers to provide low and moderate income housing within the town, and the development will have the full cooperation of the Town Administration in determining locations and sites that meet HUD criteria to the end that housing will not be limited to any given area of the town and will be available to all citizens without regard to race, color, religion, HIV-positive persons, sex or national origin.
(E) The town will assist in promoting affirmative action and advertising programs so that all housing will be made available to all citizens. Any board or group dealing with housing and appointed or licensed by the town will be directed to carry out the provisions of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 being 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601 et seq.
(F) The town agrees to the establishment of an adequate housing program, including both low-rent public housing and subsidized housing.
(G) The town will inform the Local Housing Authority, realtors and other agencies, and to the greatest extent possible, mortgage lenders and general public, of the existence and implications of its adopted open housing resolution.
(H) The town will develop policies that will help make a selection of land and/or sites available so that housing costs will remain at a reasonable level, particularly for low and moderate income families.
(I) The town will encourage local newspapers and owners of housing to comply with the HUD advertising guidelines.
(J) The town will maintain cooperation with fair housing groups, human relations bodies and other social, civic and religious groups interested in facilitating open communities.
(K) The town will assist in the development of educational programs on equal housing opportunity, informing the real estate industry of their responsibilities under federal law, encouraging minority citizens to exercise their rights under law, providing general human relations education and stating the Mayor’s commitment to fostering fair housing and defending the civil rights of all citizens.
(L) The town will assist in the development of a program or programs to inform citizens of their rights under federal civil rights laws and provide support in the filing of complaints under these laws.
(Ord. 517, passed 1-22-1979)