Fair Housing and Advertising

Following is a guest post by Jo Becker, Education/Outreach Specialist for the Fair Housing Council of Oregon.

I recently reread a 2009 report produced by the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) on how internet housing ads perpetuate discrimination. As we can attest from our own office’s investigations, illegal ads are prolific online, decades after the Fair Housing Act made them illegal. Following are some highlights from the report.

There is no disagreement that landlords, real estate agents, and others who create and place these discriminatory ads are legally liable for violating the Fair Housing Act. In passing the Fair Housing Act in 1968, Congress wanted to hold publishers responsible for third parties as a way of eliminating the problem most efficiently.

Every day in the United States, thousands of people view rental advertisements that illegally deny housing to families with children and others protected by the federal Fair Housing Act. Although newspapers have been held liable under the Fair Housing Act for publishing discriminatory housing advertisements with statements such as “no kids,” or “couples only,” the publishers of similar ads on the internet have not been held to the same legal standard.

In order to address this disparity in the law, which holds print advertisements and online advertisements to separate and unequal standards, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) urges Congress to amend the Communications Decency Act.

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to make, print, or publish; or cause to be made, printed, or published; housing ads that discriminate, limit, or deny equal access to apartments or homes because of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, familial status, and disability. [There are, of course, additional state and locally protected classes.]

In order to comply with the Fair Housing Act, newspapers utilize screening systems to keep advertisements containing discriminatory statements from being printed. [And they’re often much more conservative than fair housing advocates are! Take a look at FHCO’s popular article, The List, for more on this and related urban legends.] However, a legal interpretation of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) holds that interactive internet providers, like Craigslist, are not publishers and therefore are not liable for violating the Fair Housing Act if discriminatory housing ads are published on their sites.

Yet it needn’t be difficult. Internet providers can implement filtering systems just as print publications can (arguably it’d be easier for them to do so) to prevent individuals from posting illegally discriminatory verbiage. Either way, whether or not a site is liable in a given situation (we feel it is), the poster most certainly is!

As a housing provider advertising residential properties, you should know that fair housing advocates such as our office, national groups, and others, periodically comb sites and publications for violations. Our advice: treat any form of advertising—whatever your role is in it—as if it falls under federal, state, and/or local fair housing laws. This includes written, printed, online, posted signs, oral statements, etc., whether free or paid.

During the past year, NFHA and [several of its members] identified more than 7,500 discriminatory ads placed by housing providers on various websites. Yet, only 1,000 complaints have been filed with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) because both HUD and private fair housing agencies lack the staff and time to work through the cumbersome process required to identify and bring these landlords to justice.

Sadly, these ads reinforce the message to public readers that refusing to rent, sell, lend, or insure based on any of the protected classes is acceptable and even legal. What’s more, it confuses those who wish to follow the law or would be inclined to if they were better informed. All the reason for the proactive stance FHCO has always taken on education as a tool to eradicate illegal housing discrimination coupled, of course, with enforcement activities—because the battle won’t be won with a carrot alone.

The Fair Housing Act covers all advertising for the rental or sale of homes as well as advertising for home loans, homeowners/renters insurance, and any service related to housing.

Language in the Fair Housing Act and in the regulations implementing the law makes it clear that the law is also intended to prevent newspapers and other media from publishing advertisements or notices that limit housing to specific individuals or indicate a preference for certain people. The law states:
It shall be unlawful to make, print, or publish or cause to be made, printed, or published any notice, statement, or advertisement with respect to the sale of rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on [protected class].

The NFHA report identified thousands of ads that violate the Fair Housing Act—in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including Portland and Bend, Oregon. As a result, the national organization filed over a thousand complaints with HUD against posters.

The most common Fair Housing Act violation that NFHA and its members found on the internet was advertising discriminating against families with children. NFHA found ads stating preferences for tenants who were “single” or “a couple of individuals.” Phrases such as “perfect for young couple” or “three adults” were found in ads for houses or apartments with multiple bedrooms. These ads indicate an illegal preference or limitation and discourage families with children from even considering contacting a landlord. [Note: this is different than occupancy standards.]

Many of the properties with such discriminatory language have multiple bedrooms, and would be ideal for families with children. Some examples of discriminatory language identified include:

2BR: “Mature couple or single with no children” NY
3BR: Duplex: “Christian atmosphere” IN
2BR: “PERFECT FOR TWO ADULTS…seeking a maximum of two tenants” CT
2BR: “Couples preferred” IL
4BR: “Looking for responsible adults to enjoy home” VT

Even if these happen to be located in designated senior communities, the description of the community as an “adult community” or the advertising of “no kids allowed” is specifically disallowed by HUD.

A couple of my favorites that touch on other protected classes include:

“Looking for a white lady who has a car and that’s drawing a check. No children, teenagers” TN
“We’re trying to make cheaper rent available for able-bodied people who can do a few things for themselves.” GA

and from here in Oregon…

RV Hookup: “Hopefully we can find someone that is a Christian and loves God with all of their hearts” OR

Be sure you’re well informed and complying with both the letter and the spirit of fair housing laws. Schedule a fair housing class for your staff today, or ask your local association when FHCO will be offering a class through them. In the meantime, visit the newly revised Fair Housing Council of Oregon website and make full use of the information and resources posted there. Sign up for the free FHCO electronic newsletter to keep up to speed with developments in the fair housing world.

Read the full report—For Rent: No Kids! How Internet Housing Advertisements Perpetuate Discrimination.

Fair Housing Testing: What Is It?

Following is a guest post by Jo Becker, Education/Outreach Specialist for the Fair Housing Council of Oregon.

The topic of fair housing testing strikes fear and incites anger in many within the housing industry—independent landlords and professional property managers, sales brokers, mortgage lenders, homeowners’ associations, and other housing providers. Most are very unclear what testing is, and what it isn’t.

First, let me say that as a former REALTOR®, I am well aware that the housing industry is heavily regulated. Legal issues and accompanying regulatory bodies range from licensing law to fair housing law. The Fair Housing Council of Oregon (FHCO) is not the only organization that performs testing. Those familiar with the sales world, you might recall when the Oregon Real Estate Agency (OREA) conducted audit tests a few years ago to verify that agents were explaining the then-new Agency Disclosure Pamphlet and presenting it for signature upon “first substantive contact” with a prospective client. This is one more example of testing in the industry.

What is Fair Housing Testing?
Who does it? What are the implications for you in your daily practice?

FHCO is not an enforcement agency. We do however conduct enforcement-related activities such as testing or filing a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or another regulatory governmental agency (such as Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries), either on our own behalf or in assisting a housing consumer who feels a fair housing violation has been committed against them. We also sometimes file lawsuits with private attorneys, especially if testing evidence supports an allegation of a fair housing violation. Each year we also assist hundreds of housing providers and consumers in resolving fair housing problems in an informal manner, to the satisfaction of both parties. A good deal of our day-to-day work focuses on education and outreach to both housing consumers and housing providers about their rights and responsibilities under federal, state, and local fair housing laws (see a list of FHCO classes).

If someone contacts our office with what appears may be a fair housing allegation, we take the information and determine if it is a testable situation. Testing is used to identify ordinary business practices (of a company, an individual, etc) and these practices are usually confirmed with a series of tests. We may use testers who are not simply posing as a housing consumer, but someone who may follow a transaction through to the end and purchase a home, obtain a loan, enter into a lease agreement, etc. These folks aren’t just testers, they’re bonafide prospects currently in the market to buy/lend/lease.

We’d much rather eradicate illegal discrimination through education and making ourselves available for your questions than to “catch” you doing something wrong. Consider us a resource. Did you know that we provide testing as a fee-for-service? Organizations and firms may contract with us to see how staff or members are doing in complying with fair housing laws—the results of these tests are confidential under the terms of the contract.

We also offer a wealth of information available for housing providers on our website. A few pages likely to be of interest:
• Housing Provider Information
• Guidebooks
• Public Service Videos
• Sample Forms
• Brochures
• Translated Materials

Please consider supporting the work we do by joining FHCO today. Support from the housing industry is particularly important as we stand together to ensure housing for all in the spirit of fair housing laws.

Oregon Welcomes the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP)

This post was written by Lizbeth Hale—a REALTOR® working in Clackamas, OR who recently helped found the Oregon chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. She wrote in to share more about the organization with RMLS™ subscribers. NAHREP Oregon will be holding two events this month: a NAHREP mixer on May 8th in Clackamas, and “Winning the Multiple Offer Bidding War,” a class on May 22nd in North Portland.

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) is a trade association with 20,000 members and 45 chapters across the country who are dedicated to advancing sustainable Hispanic ownership. Hispanics are the fastest-growing demographic in the United States, with purchasing power of over $1 trillion and a projected $1.5 trillion by 2015. The Hispanic demographic, currently 52 million, is the second largest consumer group in the US and has increased 42 percent since the 2002 Census. While the overall US population is aging sharply, the median age of the Latino population is 28 years old, squarely within the average new homebuyer age of 26-45 years old. These demographic and consumer trends make it an economic imperative within the housing industry to execute strategies to best serve this burgeoning segment of the US population.

NAHREP accomplishes its mission by:

educating and empowering the real estate professionals who serve Hispanic home buyers and sellers
advocating for public policy that supports the trade association’s mission
facilitating relationships among industry stakeholders, real estate practitioners, and other housing industry professionals.

Networking Opportunities
NAHREP conferences, seminars, and our chapter meetings provide a unique forum for the excited exchange between members of ideas, experiences, and shared challenges. These gatherings offer a rich cultural/business connection that our members consider invaluable.

Advocacy
NAHREP is the largest minority trade group in the real estate industry. We have a powerful and influential voice on legislative issues related to lending parameters, business practices, and regulations that affect access to homeownership.

We at NAHREP believe homes should be sold organically and individually whenever possible. This will allow Hispanics and other minority groups to achieve their homeownership goals, while simultaneously stimulating the economy. Property disposition strategies that favor investors and Wall Street firms such as auctions, bulk sales, and “drop-bid” trustee sales should be discontinued in markets where there is strong demand for residential properties.

NAHREP believes public policies can help provide Hispanic and other minority groups with an equal opportunity to become proud American homeowners, as well as provide desperately needed economic activity in the housing market.

As the President of NAHREP Oregon, I believe that it is every professional’s responsibility to get involved with NAHREP. To better understand the diversity growth in Oregon and better serve an underserved community. Hispanics prefer to do business with a professional that understands their culture, even if they don’t speak the same language.

Hispanics will make 40 percent of homebuyers in the next 20 years. The Hispanic population in Oregon is the 18th largest in the nation—467,922, or 12% of the state’s total population. Oregon Hispanics had a purchasing power of $7 billion. In 2009, Oregon was among the ten states with the highest Latino business growth rate in the nation (43.6 percent), with a rate nearly double the national rate of growth. In Oregon, 40% of Hispanics are homeowners.

Fair Housing Is As Easy As ABC, Let’s Do It With Some Poetry! (Part One)

Guest Post Written By Jo Becker, Education/Outreach Specialist, Fair Housing Council of Oregon

In typical Nadeen Green-style, following is a spirited take on the legalities of fair housing law in poetic form. Ms. Green is an attorney who has spoken on fair housing topics to residential rental audiences across the country since the Fair Housing Amendments Act’s inception in 1989.

Here at the Fair Housing Council (FHCO) we make ourselves available to those who feel their fair housing rights have been violated, as well as to those with fair housing questions, including housing providers! If you have a question about your rights or responsibilities under federal, state, and local fair housing laws, please visit us at www.FHCO.org or call our free Hotline at 800/424-3247 Ext. 2.

Click here to read the poem: Fair Housing Poetry Part 1 (A – M)

The “New Language” of Appraisal

Guest Post Written By Bonnie Baldwin, Vice President of the Rose City Chapter of National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers (NAIFA)

The one true constant in our industry is change. As real estate agents, you have a comprehensive understanding of your market, and you fully describe the properties you list, market and sell. You can identify the components for condition and quality as good, average and poor. You can define a view and its perception in the market. And, you know how to read the grid section of an appraisal, and comprehend and identify with the comments.

As we all know, when you throw a stone in the water, you get a ripple effect, which in this case will be referred to as the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD), the “new language” of appraisal. This ripple will require a new understanding of the definitions and terms utilized in an appraisal that will code the quality and condition rating of a property. There will be new codes and abbreviations for rooms below grade, view and location codes. One and two story descriptions of the design/style of a home will be a thing of the past; now it will be architectural descriptions only. 61 different fields on four different appraisal report forms will reflect these new changes.

The Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) is the “big news” in the appraisal and lending world today. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have established a specific set of responses that all appraisers will be required to comply with for any appraisal being submitted to the secondary market. The intent is to support consistent appraisal reporting, regardless of the geographic location of the property or any localized reporting conventions, by clarifying vague data currently utilized in the typical appraisal report.

Effective September 1, 2011, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are set to roll out the Uniform Mortgage Data Program (UMDP) creating a uniform approach for receiving and handling appraisal data with the intent to improve the quality and consistency of appraisal data on loans delivered to the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). This standardization was mandated at the direction of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to improve operational efficiencies and to require appraisers, lenders, and appraisal management companies to conform to the new standardized requirements. HUD/FHA has also indicated they will be implementing the Uniform Appraisal Dataset later this year.

For more specific information about the “New Language” of appraisal, visit Fannie Mae’s website at www.efanniemae.com. Then, search for the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD). Once there, click “UAD Field-Specific Standardization Requirements,” and print pages 34 – 37 for a useful reference of the codes and definitions. As a Certified Appraiser and Vice President of the Rose City Chapter of NAIFA, I encourage you to contact a Board Member or your NAIFA Appraiser at www.ifanw.com for additional information.

The List

Written by Jo Becker, Education and Outreach Specialist for Fair Housing Council of Oregon

It’s the stuff of urban legends. It always comes up in fair housing trainings–be it classes I attended years ago as a sales agent or in classes I conduct for the Fair Housing Council now. Everyone’s heard of it; everyone wants to know how to get his/her hands on it. Some call it the “Red Light/Green Light” list; others have dubbed it with the classy moniker of the “No-No” List. That infamous, non-existent list of words one should never utter; a list that if ardently avoided would keep one safe from fair housing complaints or violations. I’ve got news for you folks; “THE LIST” is a myth!

HUD, the federal regulatory body with the power to enforce the Fair Housing Act, does not have such a list. We at the Fair Housing Council (FHCO), the authority on fair housing across Oregon and SW Washington, have never had such a list. What most people probably recall are lists that newspapers have published for advertisers to help ensure protection against a fair housing violation that would name them as well as the sales agent placing the ad. These media lists are often more conservative than we at the FHCO are, essentially because these publications are very sensitive to being slapped with a fine or lawsuit.

Realtors® have, no doubt, experienced multiple listing service computer programming that scans newly input listings for verbiage that may violate fair housing laws. Please don’t be intimated or put off by these electronic programs; they don’t know if you typed “white picket fence” or “whites only.” When you’re asked to review your listing, simply double check it and know that a living, breathing human will follow up to review it as well.

Now, the myth of the list has spawned many urban legends, which I would like to debunk and/or explain here.

Walk-in Closet — This is a common feature in many homes and is commonly understood to refer to such. So long as you don’t go on to imply that (or limit access to) someone who isn’t ambulatory can’t use the closet or live in the home, you’re fine!

View Property — Same as above. So long as you don’t limit access to the view property to sighted individuals, there’s nothing wrong with using the word “view” to describe a property with such an amenity. That is opposed to a case in which a landlord refused to tour an available unit with a blind applicant saying, “Why should I bother; you can’t see it anyway!” That, my friends, is discriminatory and illegal.

Mother-in-law Suite — Guess what, it’s fine so long as you don’t really mean that only a mother-in-law can live in the unit.

What about “near?” — Now, we’re getting into a more complex issue. It’s not uncommon to see promotional verbiage indicating close to shopping, transit, etc. This is fine. However, you begin to cross the line with fair housing law if you say “near the ABC mosque,” or “close to the XYZ church.” Referencing religious or cultural sites—even though they are valid landmarks—may have what we call a “chilling effect” and can be illegal. Let’s say a synagogue or Jewish community center is referenced and the housing consumer reading it isn’t of that faith or ethnic background. They may feel that they’re not welcome there and this chilling effect can have an illegally discriminatory impact whether it was intended to or not.

Another touchy issue is referencing local schools. National sales tests have found that schools are sometimes used as a proxy for where to buy a home. That is, some agents encourage buyers to look at and buy homes in school districts whose demographics are consistent with that of the buyer. White testers were told the virtues of predominately white schools (and by association, their neighborhoods); while minority testers were directed to predominately minority schools (and their neighborhoods); the exact schools agents told white testers to avoid. Simply listing the school district and schools that serve the area is fine so long as you do this with all of your properties. Referring housing consumers to the district’s office or website for school stats and other information from which they can develop their own opinion in is a safe strategy so long as it is applied neutrally and consistently. Touting certain schools over others is less so, and we don’t recommend it.

Of course, any good list (if we were to create one) would include the following blatantly discriminatory statements:

“No minorities”
“African Americans and Arabians tend to clash with me so that won’t work out”
“Ladies please rent from me”
“Requirements: Clean Godly Christian Male”
“Will allow only single occupancy”
“No children”

All of these illegal statements (and many more) have been posted on the online service Craigslist. Housing providers that use illegally discriminatory statements such as these—and potentially the hosting website—are liable for having violated the Fair Housing Act. As is the landlord who told one of our staff that she had advertised “Christians only” for 20 years. It doesn’t matter where you advertise—newspapers, flyers, yard signs, verbal statements you may make to another agent or prospect, and yes even advertising online (even if it’s free!)—fair housing laws apply!

For questions about your rights and responsibilities under fair housing laws, visit http://fhco.org/ or call 503-223-8197 or 1-800-424-3247 Ext. 108. To schedule an in-office fair housing training program or speaker for corporate or association functions, contact me at JBecker@FHCO.org.

This article brought to you by the Fair Housing Council or Oregon; a nonprofit serving the state of Oregon and SW Washington. Learn more and/or sign up for our free, periodic newsletter at www.FHCO.org.

Questions about your rights and responsibilities under fair housing laws?
Visit http://fhco.org/ or call 800-424-3247 ext. 2.

Questions about this article or want to schedule an in-office fair housing training program or speaker for corporate or association functions? Contact Jo Becker at jbecker@FHCO.org or 503-453-4016.

Supra Releases eKEY Software and Adapter for iPhone

By Shannon Henry, Customer Service Manager for RMLS™

One of the most common Supra-related questions we’ve received here at RMLS™ over the past few years has been, “When will I be able to use an iPhone as my lockbox key?” Well, we’re pleased to announce that as of today eKEY Basic service is available on the iPhone.

The eKEY software has been designed to update wirelessly, and allows you to not only use your phone as a key to open iBoxes, but also to manage your lockbox inventory right from your iPhone. Supra anticipates that the eKEY professional version, which will include the ability to view showing information and save listing data in the software, will also be available later this year.

A Supra iPhone adapter must also be purchased to add an IR (infrared) port to the iPhone, allowing it to communicate with iBoxes. The iPhone adapter is quite small, and connects via the docking port at the bottom of your phone when you want to open a lockbox. It runs off of your phone’s power, meaning nothing extra to keep charged, and comes with a cover that allows it to hang from a keychain when not in use.

Additional Devices

We ran a quick test in the office today and determined that both the eKEY software and adapter will work on an iPad, as well. However, we don’t recommend trying to use an iPod Touch – although the software will install and the adapter will work, without a data plan you would need to be certain that you’ll have a wireless connection available everywhere you may show a property, or commit to manually updating your key every day.

Check it out

Here are a couple of resources for further reading: eKEY for iPhone Product Page, Quick Start Guide, and User Manual. The eKEY software is available for free download through Apple’s App Store here, and comes complete with a demo mode so that you can try out the software without signing up for the eKEY service.

Ready to make the switch? The iPhone adapters sell for $55 at your local RMLS™ office, where we can also get you set up with an eKEY Basic account.

Other Supra Happenings

In other news, Supra has also recently made some improvements to SupraWEB, their key and lockbox management site. Along with a couple of security upgrades, they have also fixed an issue that caused boxes to sometimes disappear from an agent’s inventory when new boxes were added. And for those of you with Android-based phones who are interested in moving to the eKEY solution, they are currently planning to release eKEY for Android software in late September. We’ll keep you updated as we hear more, and you can also sign up for updates about Android directly from Supra here.

April is National Fair Housing Month – Part 2

The Way It Was: Fair Housing Month Retrospective

By Jo Becker, Education/Outreach Specialist, Fair Housing Council of Oregon

Fair Housing Month, which falls in April, commemorates the anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act . This year it also marks our 20th anniversary of serving Oregon and SW Washington as the Fair Housing Council. April is a good time to reflect on what life was like before these rights were passed and to think about why civil rights activists and policy leaders pushed for their passage.

There was a time in Oregon’s history that it was actually illegal for African Americans and mixed-race individuals to be present in this state. Let’s be clear, slavery wasn’t legal here, but “those people” were not welcome to be here either. There was a time when African-Americans and Asians knew “sundown laws” were common and rushed through jurisdictions to assure they weren’t caught in certain towns after dark and risk being exposed to the threat of whippings by a county official.

There was also a time when Oregon was declared the most discriminatory state north of the Mason-Dixon Line; we boasted thousands of Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members targeting minorities, immigrants and Catholics.

Is housing discrimination still a problem today? Unfortunately, yes! The KKK has largely disappeared. However, other white supremacist groups have not. Cross burnings in our area are rare, yet there have been two reports of cross burnings in just the last couple of years. We have also seen an alarming number of hate crimes and harassment based on religion, national origin, disability and sexual orientation. And, who hasn’t heard about the white supremacist group that recently visited John Day and was looking to purchase real estate there in order to make the town its new training and headquarters location?

Our Fair Housing Hotline also receives more than 3,000 calls annually. We have had instances of housing providers giving false information in order to keep out “certain people.” We’ve recently seen cases where landlords have required applicants to attend church and provide verification of such from their pastors. Not too many years ago there was also a home on the market in Gresham with a sign in the window that read, “Whites Only.” Historically (and reaffirmed by recent, local testing ), equally qualified testers are sometimes quoted different prices or offered different levels of service when the only distinction between them is a protected class status such as race, national origin, familial status, or sexual orientation. All of these instances prove that housing discrimination exists.

Please use this April as an excuse to get educated about Oregon and Washington’s troubled past, and also about civil rights and fair housing movements on the national level. Please learn the reality of the situation today—how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go. Furthermore, get involved, speak out and make a difference!

Visit http://fhco.org to learn more about fair housing and the FHCO. You can also take a quick Quiz to test your fair housing knowledge and find Easy Ways to Get Involved—each linked to our entry page.

This article brought to you by the Fair Housing Council; a nonprofit serving the state of Oregon and SW Washington. Learn more and/or sign up for our free, periodic newsletter at http://fhco.org.

Qs about your rights and responsibilities under fair housing laws?
Visit http://fhco.org or call 1-800-424-3247 Ext. 2.

Qs about this article? Do you want to schedule an in-office fair housing training program or speaker for corporate or association functions?
Contact Jo Becker at jbecker@FHCO.org or 503-453-4016.

Have property to promote?
Advertise vacancies or for-sales free across the Portland/Vancouver market at: http://housingconnections.org

April is National Fair Housing Month – Part 1

Fair Housing History

By Jo Becker, Education/Outreach Specialist, Fair Housing Council of Oregon

In April 1968, shortly after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Congress passed the federal Fair Housing Act to combat housing discrimination. It was the most controversial piece of civil rights legislation and the most difficult to pass. Twenty years later, the Fair Housing Amendments Act followed, further strengthening the law and adding additional protected classes. These federal laws protect everyone from discrimination in housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, familial status and disability.

The state of Oregon passed similar legislation and has extended it to include protection against discrimination based on marital status, sexual orientation and source of income. Similarly, the state of Washington has extended it to protect marital status, sexual orientation and honorably discharged veterans/military status. Some cities and counties have added additional protections; visit http://fhco.org/pdfs/matrix_ore.pdf or http://fhco.org/pdfs/matrix_wash.pdf for more info.

April marks the anniversary of the enactment of federal fair housing law protections and is celebrated as National Fair Housing Month.

As a former Realtor®, I know that complying with fair housing laws can be challenging. It may seem confusing and frustrating. I’ve heard the analogy of the irritation one can feel waiting for a red light to turn green, late at night, with no other cars in sight. In that moment, you are annoyed. You might ask yourself, “What is the rationale?” or “Why do I have to stop at this light?” But try to imagine what life would be like without those traffic signals or without those rules. Imagine the harm and devastation that can (and often does) occur when we ignore the rules our society has mandated. In those instances, it makes no difference if the act was accidental or unintentional; the harm is done before you even know it.

As an agent, I knew that I could have all good intentions and do everything right and yet one complaint to HUD could threaten my very livelihood. I knew and understood that. Yet, that’s not unique to fair housing. The same threat holds true from a complaint to the real estate agency and, let’s face it, anyone can sue anyone else for anything at any time. Yes, there are frivolous claims and suits, but the laws were enacted for a reason, and that is to address real and intolerable injustices facing our society. I encourage you to find out more so that you can learn the reasons behind the causes and justification for fair housing laws and to help protect yourself in your daily practice. Please visit http://www.fhco.org to learn more.

This article brought to you by the Fair Housing Council; a nonprofit serving the state of Oregon and SW Washington. Learn more and/or sign up for our free, periodic newsletter at http://www.fhco.org.

Questions about your rights and responsibilities under fair housing laws? Visit http://www.fhco.org or call 1-800-424-3247 Ext. 2.

Questions about this article? Do you want to schedule an in-office fair housing training program or speaker for corporate or association functions? Contact Jo Becker at jbecker@FHCO.org or 503-453-4016.

Do you have property to promote? Advertise vacancies or for-sales free across the Portland/Vancouver market at http://www.housingconnections.org