Town of New Windsor's 2024 18th Annual National Night Out will be on August 6th

 

The 18th Annual National Night Out New Windsor will be held at the New Windsor Carnival Grounds -located at 101 High Street, New Windsor, Maryland - on Tuesday, August 6th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Last year this was titled National Night Out. There will be food, games, and so much more, so please respond today to join in on the fun. Included are bounce houses, K-9 demonstrations, fire trucks, BBQ, ice cream, etc. The New Windsor Police Department will host and be joined by their partners: @vailsgatefiredept, @newwindsorfd, @new_windsor_ems, @newwindsorrecreationdept as well as the @nyspolice, @ocso_ny, and others. New Windsor is 6 miles west of Westminster along MD Route 31.

If you are unable to participate, we are accepting donations to make this event the best yet! You can mail donations directly to Master Deputy McGinnis or Town of New Windsor or stop by Town Hall, New Windsor and see me! All donations, no matter the size, are helpful and appreciated!

The event continues to grow more popular each year. At the last live event, approximately 300 attendees from the community came out to support it.

If you are interested in attending, please fill out the below registration form and send it back to either Master Deputy Kevin McGinnis at kmcginnis@carrollcountymd.gov or the Town of New Windsor at info@newwindsormd.org by July 23, 2024. Please note that there are no vendor fees associated with being a part of the event. However, we do ask that all vendors are set up by 5:30 p.m. and remain set up until the conclusion of the event at 8:30 p.m.

Together, we are making communities safer, more caring place to live and work.

 Read the Instagram article.

Read the New Windsor announcement.

Maryland Commission on Civil Rights Announces Its Support of Gov. Moore's Cannabis Pardons

 

PRESS RELEASE: Maryland Commission on Civil Rights’ Acting Executive Director Supports Gov Moore Pardoning Misdemeanor Cannabis Convictions     Click on image to view Victim of Discrimination? Training & Partnerships HOME      ABOUT MCCR      SERVICES      PUBLICATIONS      EVENTS      PRESS      CONTACT US

 

New Study Finds Redlining Continues in 2024

A new study by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), entitled Decades of Disinvestment: Historic Redlining and Mortgage Lending Since 1981 (May 2024), has found that lenders "continue to reinforce patterns of structural racism in formerly redlined neighborhoods, regardless of local market dynamics. Fifty-five years after Congress outlawed using discriminatory maps to guide mortgage lending, race-based exclusion from homeownership is still a de facto reality."

To enable policymakers and analysts to definitively and precisely connect present-day conditions to past structural discrimination, the NCRC developed a new HMDA Longitudinal Dataset (HLD). It was created to utilize in this report and correct data deficiencies that have blocked our complete understanding of redlining for decades.

The NCRC urges because of these findings the need to implement and firmly enforce better-designed policy measures aimed at mitigating the impact of redlining and addressing residential segregation. Recent improvements to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), and the long-awaited Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rules - yet to be finalized by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - are important steps to combat the impact of redlining and lessen residential segregation in communities. However, they may not be sufficient, given the stickiness of redlining’s legacy over the half century since the Fair Housing Act (FHA) became law.

Read the May 2024 NCRC Report

Read about NCRC's new HMDA tool

Maryland Cannabis Symposium is on July 25th

 

Join us as we discuss the complexities and workplace implications of medical and recreational cannabis. To register, click HERE.   REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND! For reasonable accommodation requests, please contact: mccr.admin@maryland.gov no later than one week prior to the event.   Victim of Discrimination? Training & Partnerships HOME      ABOUT MCCR      SERVICES      PUBLICATIONS      EVENTS      PRESS      CONTACT US

 

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Dr. Michael Eric Dyson to Speak at MCCR's August 24th Fair Housing Gala

 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS  Maryland Commission on Civil Rights is proud to announce its  Biennial Civil Rights & Fair Housing Gala Celebration Keynote Speaker  Michael Eric Dyson "Celebrating Milestones: Pivotal Moments in History" Saturday, August 24, 2024 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm at the The Hall at Live! Casino 7002 Arundel Mills Circle #7777 Hanover, Maryland 21076 The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights is excited to announce that our Biennial Civil Rights & Fair Housing Gala Celebration will be held on August 24, 2024, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at the Maryland Live! Hotel Ballroom in Hanover, Maryland. This year's theme is "Celebrating Milestones: Pivotal Moments in History." In recent years, state and local organizations have achieved crucial milestones through their diversity in leadership. The values of cultural diversity and inclusiveness involve respect for and acceptance of different philosophies and values. By incorporating different cultures, we can inspire innovations and excellence in our lives, workplaces, communities, and the world. We look forward to seeing everyone there! Ticket Prices & Sponsorship Opportunities  Victim of Discrimination? Training & Partnerships HOME      ABOUT MCCR      SERVICES      PUBLICATIONS      EVENTS      PRESS      CONTACT US

 

Zillow’s New Free AI tool aims to Promote Equality in Housing

 

The open-source tool, which is available for free, addresses bias in large language models. Zillow's open-source tool, the Fair Housing Classifier, is part of the company’s efforts to “promote responsible and unbiased behavior in real estate conversations powered by large language model (LLM) technology.“ Zillow explained that artificial intelligence (AI) tools often fail to account for the myriad requirements of fair housing laws. These tools, when deployed, “can perpetuate bias and undermine the progress achieved in advocating for fair housing.“ 

The Fair Housing Classifier (FHC) is designed to act as a protective measure against steering, or the act of influencing a person’s choice of home based upon protected characteristics. The Fair Housing Act of 1968, as amended, prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, gender, disability, familial status or national origin. The FHC is equipped to detect questions “that could lead to discriminatory responses about legally protected groups in real estate experiences, such as search or chatbots.“ The AI technology can identify cases of noncompliance with equal housing laws when it is given a question or answer. System developers have the ability to intervene in these cases.

In a recent survey of over 12,000 Americans, Zillow found that 57% reported some type of housing discrimination during their life. This was 79% for LGBTQ+ respondents, 69% for Blacks, and 64% for Hispanics and Latinos.

“In today’s rapidly evolving AI landscape, promoting safe, secure and trustworthy AI practices in housing and lending is becoming increasingly important to protect consumers against algorithmic harms,“ Michael Akinwumi, chief responsible AI officer for the National Fair Housing Alliance, said in a statement. “Zillow’s open-source approach sets an admirable precedent for responsible innovation. We encourage other organizations and coalition groups to actively participate, test, and enhance the model and share their findings with the public.”

Companies and individuals that want to use the Fair Housing Classifier can access its code and comprehensive framework on its page on GitHub. Anyone wanting to provide feedback and/or improve the tool can connect with the email alias on the GitHub page.

Read the May 21, 2024 HousingWire article..

Court Finds City of Anaheim Violated the FHA when It Blocked Permits for a Transitional Housing Development.

 

The ruling rebuked the City of Anaheim, California for imposing different standards on a local nonprofit, Grandma's House of Hope, aimed at providing transitional housing for women with mental health disabilities who recently experienced homelessness, an act labeled by the court as discriminatory. Despite the city's insistence on a conditional use permit (CUP) for the nonprofit to house 16 women, the court sided with the state and the nonprofit in a decision that signaled an end to tolerating such exclusions

The California Department of Housing and Community Development brought the case in 2022, after Anaheim officials rejected an application from local service provider Grandma’s House of Hope to open a new 16-unit facility for homeless women suffering from abuse and mental health issues. Although the city’s staff experts had recommended the permits be approved, city planning commission members voted the proposal down following a public meeting where people from the surrounding neighborhood railed against Grandma’s House. This February, a court found in favor of Grandma’s House. The Orange County Superior Court’s decision to overrule Anaheim’s denial and allow Grandma’s House of Hope is celebrated as a significant victory for fair housing in California, signaling that discriminatory practices and NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) attitudes will not be tolerated. Governor Gavin Newsom emphasized the importance of transitional homes in addressing homelessness and appropriately warned that communities refusing to allow housing for all Californians will face consequences.

Its original plan was to host up to 21 women at an 8-bedroom house in a single-family neighborhood on West Street near Anaheim's downtown. They would receive therapy and other services from seven House of Hope staff members, several of whom would be on-call 24/7 to respond to emergencies. The plan would be to move these women into permanent housing within 18 months.

The next steps in the legal process are now anticipated, as discussions venture toward potential remedies beyond the court's order. 

Read the February 3, 2024 Hoodline article.