Heartland REALTOR® Organization

April is Fair Housing Month which is especially important to the real estate industry. We honor this month to express our 365/24-7 commitment to expanding equal access to housing opportunities for all. Heartland's Government Affairs Directors, Neeley Erickson, was delighted to help connect Heartland REALTOR® Organization, REALTOR® Association of Southwestern Illinois, and Mid-Illinois Realtors Association with a National Association of REALTORS® Fair Housing Grant.

The grant helped create a partnership for the REALTOR® Book Club, which fosters an inclusive environment where members can discuss challenging and often tough topics such as racism, diversity, and implicit bias with factual and historical backgrounds.

In April 2021, to kick off Fair Housing Month, Kim Ulbrich, Executive Director of the McHenry County Housing Authority, and Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, joined us for an interactive discussion on how deeply rooted de jure (in-law) policies from our past created residential segregation, how segregation wasn't de facto (a personal choice), which is the false history often portrayed, and how our communities still suffer from the implementation of those Federal/State laws and local ordinances.

#discriminationhasnohomeinrealestate

Screenshot of attendees for the Book Club Meeting

Screenshot of Richard Rothstein, author of Color of Law, addressing attendees at the Book Club Meeting

Fair Housing Proclamations

We celebrate April as Fair Housing month to express our recommitment to expanding equal access to housing opportunities for all. As an industry we recognize our history and involvement that contributed to segregation and discrimination.

We recognize we must continue efforts to affirmatively further Fair Housing because discrimination still exits. Many of the ordinances, zoning, and legislative issues that we advocate and educate elected officials on are rooted in the promotion of equal housing opportunities and inclusion for all.

We understand, proclamations and advertisements cannot end discrimination, but collectively through accountability, culture change, and continued Fair Housing training we can drive the positive change within real estate and our communities by working together.

City of Woodstock Fair Housing Proclamation - April 2021

Video: Heartland REALTOR® Organization at the City of Woodstock Meeting on 04/06/2021

City of McHenry Fair Housing Proclamation - April 2021

Village of Richmond Fair Housing Proclamation - April 2021

City of Spring Grove Fair Housing Proclamation - April 2021