PITTSTON, LUZERNE CO. (WOLF) — The City of Pittston held a Fair Housing Information Session Thursday at Pittston City Hall to share information about housing rights and connect residents with local resources and programs.
Open to residents of the city and the Greater Pittston Area, the free event was geared toward homeowners, renters, landlords and anyone interested in learning more about housing resources.
Fair housing is the idea that everyone should have the same shot at finding a place to live. City officials said the federal Fair Housing Act bars discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or familial status.
Kristen Walters, Community Development & Grant Specialist, City of Pittston, said the event brought several housing-related programs under one umbrella for residents to consider.
“So having events like this allows people to show up, ask the questions that need to be asked, and get information that they might have a hard time finding otherwise. The City of Pittston has numerous resources for different types of residents, whether homeowners, renters or people who want to buy their own home,” said Walters.
Walters said the city’s multi-municipal home rehabilitation program was one focus of the session. She said it served 12 municipalities and helped homeowners address code-related repairs, and that her focus in the coming months would be helping interested residents apply and move through the approval and funding process.
Other topics included down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers and a rundown of local programs and partners, including the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Pittston, Beautiful Blocks, NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Pittston Housing Authority.
The city encouraged residents looking for more information on fair housing and local housing programs to visit the City of Pittston’s website.