April marks Fair Housing Month
Fair housing, the principle that supports equal housing for all that cannot be denied or restricted on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, physical challenges, family status or original origin — is alive and well in Spokane.
“Equal housing for all means something very special,” said David Crosby, American Dream Homes, president of the Spokane Association of REALTORS®.
“Fair Housing isn’t just a matter of good business, it’s a matter of basic human rights. People have a right to live in the housing where ever they can afford to live,” Crosby added.
REALTORS® have an obligation and commitment to protect that right. It’s more than a business commitment; it’s a moral commitment.
The Spokane Association of REALTORS® received national recognition in 2000 from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development for outstanding achievement and earned a HUD trophy for “Building a Better Tomorrow.”
The Fair Housing Committee, chaired by Tom Hormel, Tomlinson Black North, has planned a media blitz of television spots, news releases and radio commercials highlighting the participation in the awareness program starting April 1 and ending April 30. The city and county of Spokane and the SAR sponsor the event.
In 1968, the U.S. Congress made clear once and for all that discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, or national origin is against the law of the land. Six years later, in 1974, Congress also prohibited discrimination based on gender.
The real estate business is intimately concerned with all fair housing laws. Built into the Code of Ethics of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) is an article that prohibits discrimination in any form by members of the Association. It’s to the members’ benefit to adhere to that article’s content. Members of the Spokane Association of REALTORS® subscribe to a Code of Ethics — just one of the things that set a REALTOR® apart from someone who is merely selling land or homes.
Article 10 of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics covers the scope of an important section: It states:
“The REALTOR® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, family status or national origin.”
The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 makes it illegal to discriminate against any person. REALTORS® do business in accordance with federal fair housing laws: in the sale or rental of housing or residential lots; in advertising the sale or rental of housing; in the financing of housing; in providing real estate brokerage service; and in the appraisal of housing, etc.
Many real estate brokers and sales associates take proactive steps to guard against housing discrimination. They cannot remain “neutral” in situations with any party who attempts to discriminate.
REALTORS® support programs designed to educate the public about the right to equal housing opportunities and to educate the real estate industry about fair housing responsibilities.