Wednesday, Apr 10 2013 2:31PM

Yuma, Arizona seeks to educate residents on how to obtain housing assistance and overcome housing discrimination.

Yuma, Arizona, will be providing free and engaging information on housing topics for individuals and their families who attend the Yuma Housing Festival on Saturday, April 13, according to the Yuma Sun newspaper.

The event is designed to provide a fun forum to residents who want to learn about fair lending practices, how to obtain affordable housing assistance and programs that can help individuals find and maintain housing, the newspaper reports. Some nonprofit organizations, housing industry experts and professionals will also be attendance to answer residents' questions and provide one-on-one guidance and attention. 

"This event is a celebration of Fair Housing Month, and it provides a wonderful opportunity for our residents to come on out, have some fun, and learn about the variety of programs offered throughout the community to help everyone have access to decent and affordable housing," Valarie Donnelly, a neighborhood services specialist, told the news source.

Awareness of affordable housing programs and fair housing standards is one of the core goals of not only local institutions and groups, but also federal entities. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently announced a new national media campaign in several different languages that aims to educate the public and public housing providers about their rights and obligations under the Fair Housing Act.

For more information, check out this resource: The Yuma Sun