Seminar Tackles Fair Housing, Discrimination Issues

The Rockland Municipal Planning Federation and the Rockland Independent Living Center are co-sponsoring an educational session on Fair Housing on Thursday, Sept. 27. Scott P. Moore, special legal counsel to and an instructor for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST Program will lead the session.

During the session, he will discuss the Fair Housing Laws impacting governmental agencies, discrimination claims common to governmental agencies (such as Common Interference Claims and Reasonable Accommodation Claims), and the False Claims Act. A question and answer period will occur at the end of the presentation.

The educational session is geared toward municipal planning and zoning board of appeals members, elected officials, building inspectors, code enforcement officers, architectural board members, architects, building department staff, engineers, environmentalists, property developers and managers, real estate professionals, planners and attorneys involved in land use law.

The program will take place from 7 to 9:30 pm at Orangetown Town Hall in the new courtroom. Admission to the session is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is requested. Contact Arlene Miller at 845-364-3448, or send an e-mail to millera@co.rockland.ny.us. 

The session will provide two hours of Continuing Legal Education Credits (NY). A handling fee of $20 will be charged for anyone wishing to earn the CLE credits. AICP professionals may earn 2.5 hours of CEU credits, and attendees will also be eligible to receive two hours of credit toward the required annual training hours for municipal Planning and Zoning Board members.

Moore is recognized as a national expert in fair housing law and litigation and represents clients in all fair housing and public accommodation matters. Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST promotes compliance with the Fair Housing Act design and construction requirements. The program offers comprehensive, detailed instruction programs, online resources and a toll-free information line for technical guidance and support.

The Rockland Municipal Planning Federation is comprised of town and village board, planning board and zoning board of appeals members, plus members of the Rockland County Planning Board and the Rockland County Department of Planning. The staff, attorneys, consultants and building inspectors for the boards and land use professionals such as planners, surveyors, architects, and engineers are also members. Any individual interested in the purposes of the Federation may become an Associate Member. 

The Federation serves a number of purposes, including creating and maintaining a forum to discuss common land use planning and regulation, zoning and related issues. The Federation also offers education and training in planning and zoning methods and land use issues, as well as certification for municipal planning and zoning board members.