21st Annual Fair Housing Luncheon & Workshop Series..

21^st Annual Fair Housing Luncheon & Workshop Series

What a power packed day it was at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza (28^th and Kraft) for the annual workshop. I wasn't having the greatest couple of days but to attend this yearly event definitely changed my perspective for the better. As a staunch advocate for Fair Housing (and for some who may not know this it is the Law) it definitely bother's me when you see and hear of blatant situations that people do and say and don't have the foggiest idea that they are breaking the law. There are so many instances that it happens the numbers are staggering and getting worse.

I attended one of the morning workshops that was moderated by Nelson Miller (Associate Dean at the prestigious Cooley Law School). The panel consisted of Shanna Smith (keynote speaker for the conference and head of the National Fair Housing Alliance), Stephen Dane ( practicing attorney in the law firm of Relman and Dane in Ohio) Sylvia Elliott (managing attorney for the Michigan Dept of Civil Rights) and Fred Mackraz ( an attorney with Kuiper Orlebeke here in GR). I am very fascinated with the law and I always gravitate toward case law and how it affects real estate. The workshop opened up with Mrs Smith and she imparted upon us a wealth of information concerning issues nationwide. A very dynamic speaker.

Mr Dane gave us a synopsis of several cases (concerning discrimination, mortgage discrimination and landlord tenant situations) and one that happened here in West Michigan recently. Ms Elliott concurred with some very pertinent facts that have affected us here in GR as well from a civil rights perspective and Mr Mackraz ended with his perspective from a local level. It gave me the opportunity to see and hear from people who are in the front lines who are out there trying cases to make our lives a better one. One would like to think that 40 years later people would be educated enough to do the right thing when dealing with clients/customers/tenants etc.

Sad to say they are not. Why you may ask is that? It's that people think they can get away with it. They think that there will be no enforcement and for the most part it's not. The Act needs more teeth in it to discourage people from discriminating against other's. There needs to be large (and I mean large) penalties for individuals and/or corporations who violate this law and made to be the example. In our discussion we were shown slide after slide of blatant discrimination towards protected classes. It's like an epidemic. Things which you would think that common sense would tell you you're doing the wrong thing. And as Shanna Smith showed us how they have tester's who travel to different cities because someone has filed a complaint. Whether it is because of an agent who has tried to steer different people to areas which suit their "race" to landlord's and /or property manager's who refuse to rent to someone to mortgage lender's who give preferential loans to certain people and not other's. It's never ending. We are professionals and should act as such. I asked a question of why over the last 40 years people would be educated enough to know that everyone has the same inalienable rights as everyone else. Everyone has the right to live where they choose. We don't have the right to take advantage of other's to harm them but some of us are guilty of this very same thing.

I'm not speaking out of turn here. The statistics don't lie. How many of us truly follow this law to the letter? How many of us have violated it? I suspect some of us are guilty. It was eye-opening to listen to Shanna Smith and Cathy Cloud (Senior Vice President for the National Fair Housing Alliance). They are in the trenches everyday. They work tirelessly to stem the tide of discrimination. I was very impressed with them. Is there a local Fair Housing Center in your area? If not one needs to be implemented. The team of Nancy Haines and Liz Keegan here in West Michigan is imeasureable. I've had the opportunity to speak with them first hand and their dedication is second to none. Stop in one day at 29 Hall SE. Become a member. Volunteer at an event. They will never turn down someone who wants to help. We need to get involved. Whether we're a seasoned professional, new to the business and /or the public. These problems that exist need everyone giving a concerted effort to eradicate this epidemic. If you've never heard them speak you really need to. You will surely be enlightened.

For ALL your real estate needs please call:

Robert L Brown

FleXit Realty

616 366 7030

www.mrbrownsellsgr.com