Summer 2020: President’s Perspective

Every April, we commemorate Fair Housing Month to reaffirm our commitment to fair and equal treatment for everyone. As important as it is to take the time to look at our actions towards those around us, this is something that should be front of mind when transacting real estate to ensure we are treating everyone with the respect they deserve. The Fair Housing Act, passed in 1968, denies discrimination nationally in housing based on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin, and it is embedded into NAR’s Code of Ethics. In Chicago and Cook County, this list is expanded to also include ancestry, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, military status, source of income and housing status. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990 and helped to expand the prohibitions created in the Fair Housing Act to include discrimination against disabled individuals. This act ensures those with disabilities are provided with equal access and accommodations, including those to perform the function of their jobs, and also provides public accommodations for disabled individuals. I am the product of housing discrimination. My grandparents were explicitly told where they could live in this city. We have come a long way since they had to experience this and since we passed the laws above, but there are still many strides that need to be made. Things like steering and even our phrasing regarding neighborhoods, schools and crime are discriminatory acts that we are still seeing to this day. Although we have been diligent about ensuring the Fair Housing Act is an integral commitment to our careers, it is just as important to ensure that all Chicagoans, especially those that have mental or physical disabilities, are also afforded access to housing. Whether this means ensuring physical or technological access to view homes, these are just a few things that should be kept in mind when considering fair treatment to all clients. CAR provides many resources to keep fair and equal housing top of mind, with classes such as Code of Ethics Requirements, Fair Housing, Reasonable Accommodations Under the Fair Housing Act and At Home with Diversity, to name a few. Or, you can view our Fair Housing in 2020 webinar from April in the Video Resource Library to see how far we’ve come, as well as the steps that still need to be made to ensure we uphold our commitments. Together as REALTORS®, with the help of CAR and other industry associations, we must hold each other accountable for our actions and uphold the rights of everyone, everywhere. Maurice Hampton 2020 President Chicago Association of REALTORS®