civil rights
Kirk Ross posted some of his thoughts about the recent UNC system center closings. Here are some of his observations:
Although passed by consensus vote, during discussions Tuesday there was a split over the at least some recommendations including one tense exchange over the decision not to close Chapel Hill’s Center for Civil Rights, which is based at the law school.
BOG member Steven Long and Center for Civil Rights director Ted Shaw
BOG member Steven Long said the center was engaging in political activities and said the center’s engagement in school segregation cases in several North Carolina counties was wrong and damaging to the county budgets. Long said he did not think it was right for a part of the university to be engaged in legal actions against the state or local governments.
The GOP is in full blown meltdown right now. Four responses to the State of the Union? Yah ... these guys would like to relitigate the membership list in the union. The fact is, they're after birth control and would really like to revoke the right to vote for people who are brown or have breasts. I mean they are WORKING ON THIS.
Last year at this time, I wrote this missive which the local papers could not run as an OpEd due to its length. I share it here in the hopes that Ruby's masterful spider will help it find an audience.
I am actively seeking help to address this problem. As I wrote before, we are looking at the possibility a lot of newly homeless folk in Orange County. The best information I have says that the GSC decision to kick people out violates HUD, and we need to file a complaint. I don't know how to do this, but if you do, or know someone who can help, please contact me, or come to the meeting on August 2nd at the Human Rights Center in Carrboro at 4pm.
Jose knows someone at the HUD office in Raleigh, and today I talked with two people in the national office. They said that we have grounds for filling a report.. Here is the exact wording -
"Housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability is illegal by federal law. If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe your rights have been violated, you can file a fair housing complaint."
Both people with whom I spoke interpreted "national origins" to mean that non-U.S. citizens cannot be discriminated against.
Multiple strains on Section 8 housing are creating major worry for those who depend on affordable housing in Orange County.
The recent floods are perhaps receiving the most news coverage.
However, General Service Corporation, which according to the Chapel Hill News, owns nine apartment complexes in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, recently announced that it will no longer accept rent vouchers. This means that as leases run out in the coming months, low income citizens will be thrown into housing crisis. With so little affordable housing available already, GSC's announcment means that the properties available to low-income renters will be even more sparse and hard to come by.
Additionally, a letter from Tara Fikes, Orange County Housing Director, that went out to HUD recipients this past week cited the federal sequestration as a strain on local budgets. "Here in Orange County, this will mean a reduction of more than $250,000 in how much our Section 8 program will have available to pay in rental assistance," the letter stated.
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