April is Fair Housing Month: Resources to Explore

Fair Housing Month commemorates the anniversary of the Fair Housing Act in 1968. This major legislation sought to put an end to housing discrimination of all kinds—although many believe discrimination has only become more subtle in the decades since that time.

The Fair Housing Council of Oregon commemorates Fair Housing Month by organizing community events (Here is FHCO’s list of Fair Housing Month Events for 2014). They also offer historical tours of Portland, with important stops that serve to illustrate why fair housing is important to our past, present and future. These tours are highly recommended by RMLS™ staff, including Data Accuracy Liaison Vallerie Bush, who thinks REALTORS® who want to learn more about the history of Portland, or REALTORS® new to the area might find the tour especially enlightening.

The National Association of REALTORS® observes Fair Housing Month each year to “recognize the significance of [the Fair Housing Act of 1968] and reconfirm our commitment to offering equal professional service to all.” Click the link and find a set of articles including “Four Things You Didn’t Know About the Fair Housing Act,” and “What Everyone Should Know About Equal Opportunity Housing.”

An episode of This American Life called “House Rules” aired last year, which illustrated the ongoing need for fair housing laws. National Public Radio followed up with “A Battle for Fair Housing Still Raging, But Mostly Forgotten,” an interview with reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones, who became interested in the topic while reporting on the topic in our very own Portland, Oregon.

While Hannah-Jones worked for The Oregonian, the paper ran an extended series about housing discrimination in Portland in Locked Out. The series begins with “Portland Housing Audit Finds Discrimination in 64% of Tests; City Has Yet to Act Against Landlords” in May 2011. (That’s right—2011!)

We hope you’ll take some time to explore some of these resources and reflect on what you can do to help end discrimination and the fair housing movement through your work with clients.