Our mission
The Tampa Bay Fair Housing Consortium’s mission is to affirmatively further fair housing through quality Fair Housing education and outreach in all Tampa Bay communities and to celebrate the right of all persons to live in a strong, sustainable and inclusive community. TBFHC is not a housing provider and we do not provide Legal advice. \
Posted 4/26/2024 through 6/30/2024
Featuring:
- Networking
- Breakfast & lunch
- “Combating Appraisal Discrimination” by Pinellas County Property Appraiser
- “Land Use and Its Role in Fair Housing Over Time” by Hillsborough Planning Commission
- “Fair Housing 101” by the Florida Commission
- “A Realtor’s Perspective” insights from Dylcia Cornelius
- “Long Island investigation” presentation by Bill Dedmon, investigative reporter
- Art Contest
TBFHC Skits
Student art contents
TBFHC has looked to local student artists to help get the word out. We appreciate the help and coordination between consortium members, local schools, teachers, and the participating students.
Congratulations to our 2022 contest winners
1st place winner
Liyah Williams
“When something is fair, it is free of favoritism or bias, or deception. It is a simple concept, one that many would agree should be ideal for everyone. No one is more significant than the other, and everyone is on equal footing. Unfortunately, ideas like these are easier said than done. In reality, we do not live in a fair society. Our lives can be made easier or harder depending on how others view you. When buying, renting, or selling a home, individuals should not have to take their background into account. Black and brown people are often kept from certain areas due to their race, and in some cases people have been charged more because they have children. These are just a couple of instances where people have experienced housing discrimination. I want my piece to represent what it would look and feel like to live in a world where your skin color and ethnic background isn’t important. Everyone of every race should be treated equally when it comes to the place they call home, a dream that can be made a reality if we try.”
2nd place winner
Eli Lopez-Miralles
“With this piece I wanted to express the dream for affordable housing to be available to everyone. I expressed this as the red hand reaching and being able to pick and choose from multiple options for their housing needs. Affordable housing can only be offered by society, which is represented by the blue hands, offering up a chance for anyone to own their own home.”
3rd place winner
Mia VanDyck
“The Lego company is committed to building a more diverse and inclusive organization, where everybody belongs. Legos has a background with being accepting of everyone, which is why, chose to use Legos in my photograph. I also feel that Legos have a nostalgic feeling, often paired with a happy childhood memory. I included hands from different ethnic backgrounds to show that housing should be fair and accessible to everyone regardless of race, Ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.”
Congratulations to our 2021 contest winners
1st place winner
Redlining
“Redlining was banned in the 1960’s, but the inequality that came with it was never repaired nor abolished. Fair housing is an issue that has deeply affected the communities in West Tampa. While urban renewal development programs push new, “rustic” areas in, those same companies push lower income families out. Going to school at Blake High School allows us to see this drastic change in the community that has been home to black and Hispanic middle to lower class neighborhoods, which have lived here for ages.”
2nd place winner
Olivia Milburn
Hands of Society
“With this piece I wanted to express the dream for affordable housing to be available to everyone. I expressed this as the red hand reaching and being able to pick and choose from multiple options for their housing needs. Affordable housing can only be offered by society, which is represented by the blue hands, offering up a chance for anyone to own their own home.”
3rd place winner
Maria Gomez Pardo
Reaching For A Better Future
“To me, I believe that in the future equal housing will be more attainable for all people. No one will have to fight for a home. A home is a necessity and should not be treated as a privilege only meant for a selected handful. Homelessness is a big problem in the United States and gentrification doesn’t help either. You can see it happen all around us. People with money buy out section 8 housing only to demolish it and add fancy apartment buildings, which probably won’t even be filled to capacity. Thus, making it a waste of money and the destruction of many previous family homes.”
Congratulations to our 2020 contest winners
1st place winner
Fidela Velez-Guzman
Possibilities
“I think my generation feels very strongly about equal housing opportunities. Gentrification is a big issue, especially here; we see it all the time. Across the street from Howard W. Blake High School there used to be housing, which has now been torn down, across the river is Armature World and condo apartments that probably haven’t been bought. You can drive around Tampa and see places being demolished only to be replaced with luxurious apartments, which many cannot afford. My artwork shows what exists and in the eyes of the corporations see, what they think the future holds.”
2nd place winner
Edinson Williams
A Sad Day
3rd place winner
Grettal Hortelaz
Everyone Needs a Home
“For Affordable Housing, I Decided to go with a simplistic design in order to more easily communicate the difficult topic of affordable and accessible housing for poor and underprivileged families to the masses. Yellow light pouring out from the front door into the dark night representing how we can make the future brighter and more accessible for those that can receive it. The message is clear and simple. Everyone deserves a home and a place to live.”
