Ten things you can do to promote housing access in your community

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1. Educate yourself.

Housing access is an issue that affects all of us, especially in the tight housing market we have in greater Boston. Where we live determines so much about the quality of our lives: where we work, where our kids go to school, our daily interactions with neighbors. Federal and state laws protect us all from behaviors that limit housing choice. Find out about your rights and responsibilities.

2. Get trained as a speaker, tester, or trainer in your field.

It doesn’t take much to make a difference in your own corner of the world. Be an example, and a resource, for colleagues in your field. The Center offers trainer trainings for professionals in the fields of real estate, banking, and development. And anyone, no matter what profession, can help enforce fair housing laws as a tester. Contact the Center for the next scheduled professional training series.

3. Organize a local community response team so that incidents of hate are met with condemnation.

Despite our best efforts at promoting tolerance, hate crimes continue to occur. Many communities have developed community response teams to publicly condemn acts of hatred. Assure victims and warn perpetrators that in your community, acts of hatred are the exception, not the rule. For help starting or activating a community response team, contact the Center.

4. Support public and private efforts to create and maintain affordable housing.

Diversity comes in all forms, economic too. The strong economy may benefit some, but it also puts a severe housing cost burden on many in our communities. State and federal funds exist for communities looking to provide housing for families with children, elders, people with disabilities, and people across the spectrum of race and ethnicity. For information on affordable housing, contact your local community development corporation or affordable housing committee, or log on to www.chapa.org.

5. Join your community’s "No Place for Hate" campaign, sponsored by ADL.

This curriculum offers multiple actions your community can take to gain recognition as a "hate free zone". Forty cities and towns in Massachusetts are already on board; make yours next. Contact Rebecca Rantz at the ADL at 617-457-8800 for more information.

6. Find out what programs yor schools use to promote mediation, tolerance, and violence prevention.

The Leadership Council Education Fund (LCEF), NCCJ, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the ADL all have effective curricula for K-12. For these and other educational resources, check out the library at your region's Department of Public Health Prevention Center. It's never too early to teach acceptance: most perpetrators of hate crimes are youth.

7. Challenge a racist joke/comment.

Personal conversation that includes a derogatory statement makes us all feel uncomfortable, whether it is about others or about a group to which we belong. Responding with statements like: "I want our town to be a welcoming place, don’t you?" or "I don’t find stereotypes to be helpful/funny," remind the speaker, and other listeners, that intolerance is not acceptable.

8. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper promoting tolerance.

Proactive statements against hatred are necessary to remind people who have been maligned that they have allies. By stating your desire for safety and inclusiveness, you help create an atmosphere where hatred is less likely to be acted upon. For sample letters others have sent, contact the Center.

9. Talk with your pastor, rabbi, or imam about what your community of faith can do to promote housing access.

From interfaith services and welcome wagon outreach efforts to rehab projects and housing development, religious institutions nationwide are making housing a priority. To find out how your congregation can put its faith into action in your community, check out Greater Boston Interfaith Organization at www.gbio.org.

10. Get involved with your local fair housing/human rights commission, or start one.

Most cities and towns have a fair housing officer or committee on the books, but not all of them are active. Check with your town hall, or search our online directory of municipal fair housing resources. For help starting or activating a fair housing committee, contact the Center.