East Volusia News

Vice Mayor & Zone 4 Commissioner Randy Hartman began last night’s City Commission meeting by proclaiming April as both Fair Housing Month and Water Conservation Month in the City of New Smyrna Beach.

“New Smyrna Beach is an inclusive community committed to fair housing and promoting appropriate activities by private and public entities to provide and advocate for equal housing opportunities for all residents and prospective residents,” said Hartman.

The Fair Housing Act, enacted on April 11, 1968, enshrined into federal law the goal of eliminating racial segregation and ending housing discrimination in the United States. It prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability, and commits recipients of federal funding to affirmatively further fair housing in their communities.

Also present at the meeting was New Smyrna Beach Housing Authority Executive Director Teresa Pope, who reiterated that real estate agents, brokers, landlords, or anyone in the housing business has violated these laws if they encourage a homeowner to sell or rent with discriminatory intent. Her agency is responsible for providing 440 HUD Housing Choice vouchers and adding 92 affordable workforce housing units to the city’s inventory since it was established in 1950, with another 80 on the way in the form of Greenlawn Manor Apartments, a $23 million affordable senior housing development under construction at 600 Greenlawn St. expected to be completed this summer.

Next was the proclamation for Water Conservation Month. The State of Florida and its water management districts have designated April, a dry month when water demands are most acute, to encourage citizens and businesses to practice water saving measures and become more aware of the need to save water.

“The City of New Smyrna Beach has always encouraged and supported water conservation, through various educational programs and special events. Every business, industry, school, and citizen can help by saving water and thus promote a healthy economy and community,” said Hartman.

The city and New Smyrna Beach Utilities recently co-hosted a SpringFest event on March 4 that included giving away 167 trees and over 200 tree seedlings as well as a lineup of environmental experts to educate residents about water conservation, beekeeping, local bird species, litter cleanup, sea turtle tracking, mosquito control, natural gardening, raptor rescue & rehab, native plants, protected species, monarch butterflies, and more.

Would you like to know more? Watch video replay of this meeting at https://bit.ly/3Zkf0KQ and contact the City Clerk’s Office at clerk@cityofnsb.com or 386-410-2630.

Original source can be found here.