VCCAR DEI Committee members pictured from left: Julio Gomez, DEI Chair – Melissa Hunter, and Bridget Goncalves
On April 11th, the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) held its 2nd Annual Fair Housing Event in West Hollywood. The Ventura County Coastal Association of REALTORS® (VCCAR) DEI Committee was among the attendees, who came together to discuss ways to eliminate biased opinions in the real estate process.
Panel Discussions on a Range of Topics
The event featured panelists who spoke on various topics related to fair housing, including rental discrimination, appraisal bias, and homelessness in Los Angeles. Attendees had the opportunity to collaborate and discuss eliminating biased opinions in the real estate process. The panel discussions allowed for critical conversations about making the dream of homeownership a reality for more Californians.
Top Experts in the Industry
Julian Glover, an Emmy and Murrow award-winning reporter with ABC7 News in the Bay Area and Executive Producer of the documentary “Lowballed,” also gave a presentation on Appraisal Bias.
Hot Fair Housing Topics
The Fair Housing Day was an exciting opportunity to learn from innovators, researchers, advocates, and policy experts on fair housing issues. The event included critical conversations about how to make the dream of homeownership a reality for more Californians, focusing on topics like appraisal bias, discrimination in rental housing, and inclusive advertising.
Overall, the 2nd Annual Fair Housing Event hosted by CAR was a great success. It allowed REALTORS® and experts to discuss critical issues and collaborate on solutions. With the input and knowledge shared by these experts, attendees left with a greater understanding of fair housing issues and how to tackle them, ultimately making the dream of homeownership a reality for more Californians.
After attending the Fair Housing Event, I feel empowered to eliminate biased opinions in the real estate process and work towards making homeownership accessible to all Californians. The critical conversations and insights shared by the panelists and speakers were eye-opening and inspiring. I am grateful to have been a part of such an important event.
Speakers included:
- Alexia Smokler – Director, Fair Housing Policy & Programs, National Association of REALTORS®
- Anna “Queen” Tutt – Realtor / Realtist, eXp Realty; President, Consolidated Board of Realtists
- Denise Cato – President and CEO, Fair Housing Council of Orange County (FHCOC)
- Maya Clark – Broker/Owner, Seville Property Management; Past President, Associated Real Property Brokers
- Muhammad Alameldin – Policy Associate, Terner Center for Housing Innovation University of California, Berkeley
- Catherine Bracy – Co-Founder and Executive Director, TechEquity Collaborative
C.A.R.’s Fair Housing Challenge!
Show your commitment to diversity, fair housing, and leadership by completing C.A.R.’s Fair Housing Challenge! The leadership team is challenging every C.A.R. Board and Committee member to take three courses:
1) At Home With Diversity
2) NAR’s Fairhaven, and
3) One of two bias courses, C.A.R.’s new CE course – A Deeper Look into Bias in Real Estate or NAR’s Bias Override
The deadline for completing the courses is September 1, 2023. Regions and Committees with the highest participation rates will be recognized at the Fall Business Meetings. Once you’ve completed the challenge, let us know by registering: via this link. Courses taken after 1/1/22 (and any date for Fairhaven) will count toward the challenge!