The 2020 NAR Leadership Team with HUD Secretary Ben Carson
On January 8th members of NAR’s Leadership Team, met with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, HUD’s Assistant Secretary of Fair Housing Anna Maria Farias, HUD General Counsel Paul Compton, and FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery and other senior officials to discuss fair housing just hours after unanimously passing a new plan to tackle the issue.
The meeting allowed NAR to reiterate their commitment to partnering with HUD to advance fair housing protections, and NAR agreed to work jointly on public service announcements and other proactive initiatives to communicate the importance of housing access for all Americans.
NAR has been active in their pursuit of innovative new policies and partnerships that will help them preserve the fundamental right of housing in America. While NAR has long been a champion of the Fair Housing Act, recent incidents have underscored the progress our nation must still make. That’s why NAR is proud to announce that the Leadership Team has unanimously voted today to approve an action that will directly ramp up and reinvigorate NAR’s fair housing commitment, which you are encouraged to read.
The new NAR initiative, abbreviated ‘ACT,’ will emphasize Accountability, Culture Change and Training in order to ensure REALTORS® are doing everything possible to protect housing rights in America. Specifically, NAR will take new actions to ensure members uphold the fair housing standards incorporated in NAR’s Code of Ethics; begin integrating fair housing into all conferences and engagements; and form partnerships with fair housing advocates to pursue shared goals around accountability and training, among countless other initiatives.
NAR’s Code of Ethics and its adherence to fair housing are the cornerstones of NAR’s commitment as REALTORS®. With this new plan, you will see more robust education focusing on core fair housing criteria, unconscious bias, and how the actions of NAR members impact communities. A partnership with government officials and fair housing advocates will allow NAR to further promote equality as they continue to work to diversify the industry.