1A. Bridging Fair Housing and Environmental Justice Advocacy

This panel will focus on key issues connecting fair housing and tenant advocates to environmental justice. It will highlight a forthcoming national report on the proximity of Superfund sites and other highly contaminated land to federally assisted housing and will include recommendations for advocates on how to maximize tenant involvement in the future of their housing. Panelists will describe the relationship of segregation and land use practices to environmental exposures, focusing on the risks faced by people in subsidized housing. We will address lead exposure, Superfund sites, asthma risks, and natural disaster preparedness, and how these issues relate to current housing policy. The panel will also cover local case studies and model solutions to these problems, including: community engagement, litigation strategies, and public policy changes at the local and national levels.