PRESIDENT’S CORNER
BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH HOME OWNERSHIP Comedian George Carlin joked that home was just a place to keep your stuff. While that gets a deserved laugh, as REALTORS® we know that home is much more. Home is a place to feel safe, to celebrate, to raise families, to build wealth and to build dreams. Through home ownership, we also build community.
Even answering seemingly simple questions such as “Is that neighborhood safe?” or “Can you help find a nice Christian family to buy our home?” can unintentionally open doors to discrimination. Consider the possible discrimination in phrases such as “walkable neighborhood,” “man-cave,” or “family room.”
Sadly, for many in America, a home as a place to thrive is elusive. While more Americans today are more likely to own a home than 10 years ago, that’s not the whole story. Homeownership rates for Black Americans are still lower than in 2010; while the reasons for that have deep socioeconomic reasons, including affordability, reports of discrimination are still far too common.
As it states in the preamble to our Code of Ethics, the term REALTOR® has come to “connote competency, fairness and high integrity.” At this time of year, we also are reminded of our obligations under the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin or sex.
The National Association of REALTORS® reported in the “2022 Snapshot of Race and Home Buying in the U.S.” that 46 percent of Black/African American home buyers reported being steered toward or away from specific neighborhoods. Similar numbers were reported by Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino buyers. White/Caucasian buyers were at 35 percent. Other forms of reported discrimination included refusal of a homeowner or agent to show a particular property; purchase offer being denied for suspected discriminatory reasons, as well as stricter requirements and access to types of loans.
This month’s issue of Tampa REALTOR® is dedicated to understanding the Fair Housing law and how you can help ensure you are serving homebuyers and sellers in accordance with the law. Adherence to Fair Housing practices not only ensures a level playing field but it also makes the home buying and selling experience better and more enjoyable for everyone.
RUTH BRYSON 2022 President Greater Tampa REALTORS®
tamparealtors.org
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