Celebrating Fair Housing In Iowa City

As all REALTORS are aware, April is Fair Housing month. That's not to say that we shouldn't follow the fair housing guidelines all year long! It's just that April is the anniversary month of the Federal Fair Housing act. It's a good time to remind everyone of the guidelines and how they apply to us as REALTORS. REALTORS are often the first contacts area newcomers have. Diversity is a good thing! Wouldn't it be a boring world if we were all the same! Owning a home is the American dream and everyone, regardless of their differences should be afforded that privilege!

Despite the number of years since the passing of this law and the advances in education and understanding of diversity, discrimination in housing still exists. And I'm saddened to say, in big numbers. Disability and race are the top two protected classes facing discrimination.

In 2004, the Iowa City Area Association of REALTORS formed the ICAAR Fair Housing Ambassadors, a group of REALTORS and community leaders working together to increase awareness of housing opportunities for a diverse population by educating the community and peers. The Fair Housing Ambassadors take a pro-active approach to building a community that is rewarding for all its members. As a result, the Iowa City Housing Authority and the ICAAR Fair Housing Ambassadors formed a partnership to teach home readiness education classes. This class is required by the City for their home ownership program and by government based programs such as Habitat for Humanity, USDA loans and various other first-time home buyer programs. We just finished our 3rd session. Out of those 3 classes, we have had 180 attendees, 128 graduates and 15 have gone on to become homeowners! Plans are already in progress for our 4th class to be held in October. This has been an extremely rewarding project for me to be involved in. As task force leader, I have done everything from class presentations to handing out graduation certificates. I have grown from this experience in many ways!

To celebrate April 2007 Fair Housing Month, we are sponsoring a poster contest for elementary children. It is called, "Many People, Many Homes". We are hoping this fun event will help the children realize the importance of fair housing and equal opportunities in housing for all people regardless of their differences. And also how we all benefit when communities and individuals respect and celebrate diversity. I'll put the winning posters on a future blog! I think it would be fun for you all to see!

Dee