Cabarrus County and the Cities of Concord and Kannapolis will host a TikTok video contest in honor of Fair Housing Month. High school students in Cabarrus County, and Kannapolis residents in Rowan County are encouraged to participate. Community Development and Housing staff from the three governments will select winning videos based on the best use of the theme “Home Sweet Home.”
“We want to use this opportunity to work with the youth of our community to help them to better understand what fair housing means. The Fair Housing Act protects people from discrimination when purchasing or renting a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance or engaging in other housing-related activities,” said Sherry Gordon, City of Kannapolis Community Development Program Administrator.
“We work to ensure our community understands the process of renting or purchasing a home, and their rights when working with mortgage professionals, leasing and real estate agents, and other professionals when renting or buying real estate,” commented Mary Powell-Carr, City of Concord Community Development Manager.
“Using TikTok videos is a new way for us to engage and educate our young adults about this important topic in our community. We are excited to see the creative video submittals from our high schoolers,” stated Kelly Sifford, Cabarrus County Planning and Development Director.
Contest Information/Guidelines
Students should keep in mind the following guidelines when creating their submission. Videos must:
- Relate to fair housing and the theme “Home Sweet Home”.
- Be 15-60 seconds in length.
- Have relevant content.
- Contain no inappropriate language, gestures, clothing, or music. Videos should adhere to their school’s code of conduct.
- Be from a high school student enrolled in a private, public or home school, in Cabarrus County or a Kannapolis resident in Rowan County.
Submissions that do not adhere to the guidelines will be disqualified. Videos will be judged on creativity, originality, and adherence to guidelines.
To enter, students should post their videos on TikTok with the hashtag #HomeSweetHomeNC. Students must also email their video to Sherry Gordon at sgordon@kannapolisnc.gov to qualify for prizes. In the email, please include your name, address, school, grade and a brief explanation of the video and how the theme was incorporated.
Prizes will be awarded to the first-place winner in the amount of $100, the second-place winner in the amount of $75, and the third-place winner in the amount of $50.
The contest opens March 22, and the last day to submit an entry is April 12. Winners will be announced via Zoom on April 22 during the Virtual Fair Housing Seminar featuring Mr. James Perry, President and CEO of the Winston-Salem Urban League as the keynote speaker.
Before starting your video, learn more about fair housing here- https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/fair_housing_act_overview#_The_Fair_Housing
You may also view examples of housing discrimination here- https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/examples_housing_discrimination