Search Results for: workforce housing forum

Historic Church Hill, on the east side of Richmond, VA, is plagued by abandonment and blight. But with the help of the REALTOR® Party and the success of stakeholder workshops, new legislation and a Community Land Trust, the Richmond Association of REALTORS® is moving to improve Church Hill’s fortunes with an ambitious plan for affordable housing.

REALTORS® in Washington state knew that access to affordable housing at all income levels was being hampered by lack of inventory. Using an Issues Mobilization Grant, they’ve convinced lawmakers to tackle challenges ranging from zoning to builder-liability to spur the creation of more housing stock.

Last week, a bill that funded the federal government through Dec. 11 was signed into law; the bill includes a full-year extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and surface transportation funding.

In light of all that’s been learned about racial bias in the past year, the Greater Syracuse Association has been working hard to raise awareness of how the issue is at play in the real estate industry. Using a Fair Housing Grant from the REALTOR® Party, it presented Bill Dedman, the lead investigator on the Newsday “Testing the Divide” exposé, as a guest speaker at a seminar for members.

When a well-intended bill approved by the County Council threatened to undermine affordable housing development on Maui, the REALTORS® Association called on the Advocacy Everywhere program to support a veto by the mayor and help steer housing policy back on track.

A Consumer Advocacy Grant from the REALTOR® Party helped the South Bay Association of REALTORS®, the Pasadena-Foothills Association of REALTORS®, the Glendale Association of REALTORS®, the Greater LA Association of REALTORS®, the Greater Antelope Valley Association of REALTORS®, and the Southland Regional Association of REALTORS® educate consumers on two major new laws that boost homeowners’ rights, exemptions, and market feasibility.

NC REALTORS® asserted REALTOR® support of fair housing principles in a campaign they called ‘We Open Doors to Everyone,’ targeting North Carolina thought leaders, influencers, and stakeholder populations throughout April and May.   It was made possible by NC REALTORS® Issues Mobilization funds, and its reach was extended by a Consumer Advocacy Outreach Grant from the REALTOR® Party. 

When South Carolina REALTORS® amped up their fair housing program in response to the social unrest that swept the country in 2020, no aspect of the real estate industry escaped their scrutiny. Their efforts to further fair housing and to promote anti-discrimination in housing earned them the 2022 Fair Housing Award from the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials.

With help from the REALTOR® Party, Washington REALTORS® mounted a public-facing "Welcome Home" campaign to focus the state’s 2023 Legislative Session on housing inventory and homeownership. The slate of bills they successfully promoted will lower barriers to creating new housing, especially in the affordable and Missing Middle range. In a separate campaign, they fought back legislation to increase real estate excise taxes.

With its Home for All of Us initiative that began in 2022, the Long Island Board of REALTORS® is promoting awareness of protected classes, one-by-one. Last year it launched the campaign’s second phase, with a focus on issues pertaining to people with disabilities – from service animals to accessible websites.