CPHA's FREE Fair Housing & Tenant Rights Workshop

About the Workshop: 

Whether you are a renter or homeowner, do you know your fair housing and tenant rights? Join CPHA and community partners for an educational workshop. Learn about your rights and resources. The CPHA, the Public Justice Center, Baltimore Renters United,  Maryland Inclusive Housing, and the Baltimore City Branch of the NAACP will be your speakers. Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is encouraged. Questions? Contact Char McCready at charm@cphamd.org.

 

AGENDA 

10:45 am – 11:00     Registration

11 am – 11:05 am Welcome/Introductions 

• Char McCready, CPHA

11:05 am – 11:45        Tenant Rights

• Public Justice Center - Elizabeth Ashford

11:45 am – 12:15         Tenant Rights/Tenant Union

• Baltimore Renter’s United – Detrese Dowridge

12:15 pm – 1:30 pm   Fair Housing Rights

• Communities Planning and Housing Association – Char McCready
• Maryland Inclusive Housing/Baltimore City Branch of the NAACP – Sharonda Huffman

1:30 pm – 2:00 pm  Resource Fair

About the Speakers

Elizabeth Ashford

Public Justice Center

Elizabeth Ashford is an attorney in the Human Right to Housing Project at the Public Justice Center (PJC). Elizabeth comes to the PJC from the Housing Unit of Delaware Community Legal Aid Society, Inc., where she represented tenants in subsidized and fair housing eviction proceedings, and in administrative hearings with the state and local housing authorities. She also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Brenda A. Sexton in Circuit Court for Cecil County Maryland.

A native Marylander, Elizabeth grew up in North Potomac. She earned a J.D. from the Widener University Delaware Law School, which awarded her Pro Bono distinction. During law school, she participated in the Civil Law Clinic and co-authored three publications: one on dignity rights in housing, and two on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Delawareans with disabilities. Elizabeth graduated from La Salle University in 2018, where she earned her B.S. in Political Science. PJC is a member of Baltimore's Inclusionary Housing Coalition. 

Charmeda "Char" McCready 

Communities Planning and Housing Association 

Char McCready is the Executive Director of the Communities Planning and Housing Association (CPHA). She is not an attorney. However, she has 23 years of experience in Fair Housing. She has trained hundreds of individuals across the state of Maryland on Fair Housing.  Char has previously worked at Maryland's Former Fair Housing Center, Baltimore Neighborhoods, Inc. Most recently she has worked for Denver Metro Fair Housing Center and the Fair Housing Rights Center in Southeastern Pennsylvania conducting fair housing investigations and providing technical assistance. Char has a Masters in Nonprofit Management from Notre Dame of Maryland University.   CPHA is also a member of Baltimore's Inclusionary Housing Coalition. 

Detrese Dowing 

Baltimore Renters United

Detrese was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. Detrese has been working as a tenant advocate since May 2013 when she joined the Right to Housing Alliance as a volunteer. In 2022 Right to Housing Alliance merged with Baltimore Renters United (BRU). Detrese also serves on BRU's steering committee to help guide and build a movement to push renter's rights. In March 2014, Detrese who was a tenant of Sage Management along with other tenants filed a class action lawsuit against Sage Management. The lawsuit addressed a practice the company was using which is called "fee churning" The lawsuit was successful with tenants winning nearly a one million dollar settlement for past and current tenants.

Detrese is also the proud recipient of the 2014 John P. Sarbanes Courage Award from the Public Justice Center for her work in housing justice.

Detrese, having been impacted by housing injustice became passionate about educating and helping others who are dealing with housing injustice in Baltimore. Detrese has testified city and statewide during the legislative session advocating for renters' rights. In June 2022 Detrese became the first full-time tenant organizer with Baltimore Renters United where she continues to advocate for renters' rights in Baltimore and hopes to spread her work nationwide.

Sharonda Huffman 

Maryland Inclusive Housing/The Baltimore City Branch of the NAACP - Member of the Housing Committee

Sharonda L. Huffman joined Maryland Inclusive Housing as the Director of Housing in May of 2022. She has a diverse background in the real estate, human services, law, insurance, and disability fields. Huffman recently served as the Lead Accessibility and Compliance Coordinator for the City of Baltimore. Huffman directed disability-related initiatives. She also previously served as a real estate agent with the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development.

Huffman has been asked to be the keynote speaker for several webinars, training, and workshops related to the cross-section of discrimination-related disability. She is a certified American with Disabilities Act Coordinator and a trainer with the ADA Training Leadership Network and has earned certificates as a Fair Housing Specialist.

She is a volunteer in various organizations including Sigma Gamma Rho community service sorority. She also holds memberships with the Baltimore Urban League, NAACP, National Federation of the Blind, National Association of Parliamentarians, and the American Society of Public Administration. Further, she is a board member of the Chesapeake Arts Center.

Huffman earned a BA in Political Science from Morgan State University and attends Strayer University pursuing a master’s in public administration.

Sharonda Huffman and her husband Dr. Artus Huffman have been married since 1998. They have three children including their adult son with a developmental disability.

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Baltimore Renters United
• Baltimore City NAACP
• Beyond the Boundaries
• GEDCO
• The League of Women Voters - Baltimore City 
• Inclusionary Housing Coalition
• Maryland Center in Economic Policy
• Maryland Inclusive Housing
• Public Justice Center