Every year, April marks Fair Housing Month. This means that the National Association of Realtors (NAR) celebrates the passing of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. This Civil Rights Act made it illegal to discriminate in the selling, renting, and financing of housing on the basis of race, religion, national orientation, and sex. A later amendment added disability and family status to this. However, whether this is your first time hearing the term Fair Housing or the twentieth time you’ve heard it, there is always more to be done to end discrimination in the housing industry. Here are some ways you can help celebrate and uplift this Fair Housing Month.
Understand Why It’s Important
Above all else, fair housing seeks to ensure that everyone has equal access to homes. Fair Housing is an overarching issue no matter where you are in the housing market as a buyer, seller, realtor, renter, or bystander. Understanding how fair housing could affect you and those around you is incredibly valuable both now and in the future.
Attend Events
Especially as a realtor, attending events and continuing to learn about fair housing are always important. Here are two being held this month by NAR:
April 22, 2022: 11am Central, 12pm Eastern
Fair-Housing in your Neighborhood: How to be an Agent of Change
Register here
April 27, 2022: 2 pm Central, 3 pm Eastern
Facebook Live: What Will it Take to Close the Racial Homeownership Gap?
Learn more here
Educate Yourself
Self-education is one of the most important things you can do to help advance anything forward. If you are a realtor, learning how to be a better advocate for others is highly beneficial. If you’re a buyer or a seller, you can also help learn how to be a better advocate for yourself and what is and isn’t allowed when buying or selling. Here are some ways you can begin to educate yourself on free housing:
Books to read: Here is a list of books the NAR has compiled.
Podcasts to listen to: Here is a list of podcasts the NAR has compiled.
Film to watch: Here is a list of films and videos the NAR has compiled.
Helpful links and tools: If you’re looking for more tools, here is a toolkit the NAR has put together for Fair Housing Month.
With education comes accountability for both yourself and others. This Fair Housing Month, make it a priority to continue learning what you do and do not know so that together we can work to end discrimination in the real estate industry.
