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Council spotlights Fair Housing, public health and minority health in April proclamations
Summary
At the April 7 session the Montgomery County Council read proclamations recognizing Fair Housing Month, National Public Health Week and Minority Health Month, with agency leaders and community partners urging continued investment in equity‑focused programs.
The Montgomery County Council used the April 7 session to call attention to three April observances and the county programs that support them.
The Planning, Housing & Parks Committee opened the morning with a Fair Housing Month event, stressing Montgomery County’s long history of open‑housing enforcement dating to the late 1960s. Department and nonprofit leaders including the county human‑rights director and representatives from local housing organizations introduced themselves and emphasised recent policy steps—such as Fair Housing Justice Act provisions—that limit landlords’ use of criminal‑history screening and protect source‑of‑income. Director James Bridgers told the council that his office still investigates roughly “10 to 20” housing‑discrimination complaints each year, a figure he offered to underline ongoing enforcement needs.
Later, the Health & Human Services Committee led a proclamation for National Public Health Week. Dr. Kisha Davis, the county health officer, framed the week’s theme “Ready. Set. Action.” around readiness, equity and combating misinformation. Speakers from the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health, behavioral‑health providers and nonprofit partners urged continued funding and community outreach to address mental‑health, chronic‑disease prevention and social determinants of health.
In the afternoon the council recognized National Minority Health Month. Officials and community leaders from the county’s African American Health Program, Latino Health Initiative and Asian American Health Initiative described targeted programs—screenings, culturally‑tailored case management and community trust‑building—that county funding supports and recommended continued investment to reduce persistent disparities in maternal and infant outcomes and chronic disease.
What’s next: The proclamations direct partner agencies and departments to sustain outreach and to report back to the council through routine oversight channels. Several community organizations used their proclamation appearances to request continued or restored grant support during the FY27 budget process.
