Fair Housing in Grand Rapids: Then and Now

by Liz Keegan

Where you live has always undeniably determined the opportunities you have access to, including education, employment, health care, transportation, green space, and much more. Where you live also directly impacts how you live – and even your life expectancy. As we come to better understand more about these connections, it seems that the stakes for equal housing opportunity have never been higher. Join Liz Keegan (Fair Housing Center of West Michigan) as she shares a history of the journey for fair housing in greater Grand Rapids. She will also share information on how housing segregation and discriminatory housing policies such as redlining continue to impact us all today.

Liz Keegan has been the Director of Education and Outreach for the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan (FHCWM) since January of 2006. She is responsible for developing and implementing education and outreach activities for the general public, social service organizations, the housing industry, and beyond. She has provided extensive technical fair housing training to more than 7,875 housing industry members in more than 350 sessions covering lending, rental property management, property maintenance, advertising, real estate sales, and advanced topics upon request. Keegan has developed a menu of more than 50 fair housing training opportunities for landlords, property managers, maintenance personnel, real estate agents, lenders, senior housing providers and zoning officials.

Prior to joining the staff full-time, she worked for the FHCWM as an independent contractor for five years, coordinating the Center’s annual Fair Housing Luncheon & Workshop Series. In addition to the Series, Keegan is responsible for coordinating the Center’s annual Lakeshore breakfast, the curricula for elementary, middle, and high school students as well as adult ESL (English as a Second Language) students. Keegan has served on the Executive Committee of the Ottawa Area Housing Coalition (now Lakeshore Housing Alliance) since 2009.

Before she joined the FHCWM, she worked for the Community Leadership Institute at Aquinas College conducting research, facilitating forums and educational events as well as community organizing. Keegan received her bachelor’s degree from Aquinas College in 1998.

“Fair Housing in Grand Rapids: Then and Now” by Liz Keegan, Thursday, March 11, 2021, 7:00 p.m.

Be sure to visit our Grand Rapids Historical Society YouTube channel to view the recorded presentation. https://youtu.be/7WvyONwKWNo