C O A L I T I O N C O A L I T I O N CornerCorner

Fair Housing Update forFair Housing Update forRelocation ProfessionalsRelocation Professionals

© 2005, Employee Relocation Council/Worldwide ERC® Coalition

Coalition Corner:Business training tools for HR staff, real estate licensees and other service professionals in the relocation and real estate industries

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Program objectives

• This program supplements a monthly editorial feature in Worldwide ERC®’s Mobility magazine

• This segment will:

– Outline the purpose/parameters of the Fair Housing Act– Examine statistics related to Fair Housing Act complaints– Explain the importance of the Fair Housing Act to all

relocation professionals– Offer tips and suggestions on how to ensure compliance

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Introduction

• Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination of any kind in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and other housing-related transactions

• Relocation professionals need to be aware of its parameters, and ensure compliance

• Failure to comply (directly or secondarily) carries significant consequences, such as suspension and/or loss of license, civil action, significant fines and loss of income

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Statistical Review

• There is evidence to suggest that further work needs to be done to ensure compliance with the Fair Housing Act:

– According to the National Fair Housing Alliance’s 2002 Trends Report, 71% of the total number of complaints filed involved race, familial status, and/or disabilities

– The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates over 2 million people still face housing discrimination annually

– A recent HUD study of 11 cities found Asians and Pacific Islanders were discriminated against at a rate similar to African Americans and Hispanics

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Importance to Relocation Professionals

– All relocation professionals should use utmost care to practice and promote fair housing

– Brokers bear the primary responsibilities for the actions of their agents

– Relocation management companies may be secondarily liable for the actions of brokers and agents to whom they refer business (particularly if aware of potential violations)

– Relocation companies permitting or participating in discriminatory actions or behavior can face the same penalties as the primary broker

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To ensure equal treatment practices…

– Create and communicate clear policies regarding Fair Housing procedures when handling referrals and developing policy manuals

– Continually organize Fair Housing training programs– Ensure adequate awareness of local additional protected classes

beyond federal Fair Housing Act protection– Use care in selecting agents based on client preference (race, ethnic

background, etc.)– Clearly identify preferences and choices of referral agents for special

language needs (i.e., purely for communication purposes) vs. pairing of same race/culture by request

– Understand the potential pitfalls of relationships with other institutions (homeowners associations, condo/co-op associations, boards, etc.) if they are not in compliance with federal Fair Housing regulations

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For more information…

See – http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/FHLaws/yourrights.cfm

or– http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/title8.htm

The Coalition thanks Tony Duncanson for this edition of Coalition Corner. Tony is a realtor associate with over 20 years in sales. A relocation specialist for many years, he

is also a DC real estate board member of ARELLO, serving as chair of its Fair Housing Committee. Tony is a certified real estate instructor and trainer,

teaching both locally and nationwide.