#FairHousingMakesUSStronger: Fair Housing Action Plan Announced

The 2020 NAR Leadership Team with HUD Secretary Ben Carson

Yesterday, we, along with other members of NAR’s Leadership Team, met with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, HUD’s Assistant Secretary of Fair Housing Anna Maria Farias, HUD General Counsel Paul Compton, and FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery and other senior officials to discuss fair housing just hours after unanimously passing a new plan to tackle the issue.

The meeting allowed us to reiterate our commitment to partnering with HUD to advance fair housing protections, and we agreed to work jointly on public service announcements and other proactive initiatives to communicate the importance of housing access for all Americans.

We have been active in our pursuit of innovative new policies and partnerships that will help us preserve the fundamental right of housing in America. While we have long been a champion of the Fair Housing Act, recent incidents have underscored the progress our nation must still make. That’s why we are proud to announce that the Leadership Team has unanimously voted today to approve an action that will directly ramp up and reinvigorate NAR’s fair housing commitment, which we encourage you to read.

NAR leads meeting with HUD officials to discuss Fair Housing Action Plan

The new NAR initiative, abbreviated ‘ACT,’ will emphasize Accountability, Culture Change and Training in order to ensure REALTORS® are doing everything possible to protect housing rights in America. Specifically, we will take new actions to ensure members uphold the fair housing standards incorporated in NAR’s Code of Ethics; begin integrating fair housing into all conferences and engagements; and form partnerships with fair housing advocates to pursue shared goals around accountability and training, among countless other initiatives.

Our Code of Ethics and its adherence to fair housing are the cornerstones of our commitment as REALTORS®. With this new plan, we will see more robust education focusing on core fair housing criteria, unconscious bias, and how the actions of our members impact communities. A partnership with government officials and fair housing advocates will allow us to further promote equality as we continue to work to diversify our industry.