April is Fair Housing Month
Every April, we celebrate the Fair Housing Act, a pivotal policy signed into law on April 11th, 1968, after extensive efforts made by President Lyndon Johnson. The act aimed to combat housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation - and was amended in 1988 to include disability and familial status - to promote equal opportunity in housing for all Americans.
Although we’ve come a long way in terms of equality, disparities persist in accessing housing. Data reveals an imbalance in mortgage rates and denial rates among racial and ethnic groups, highlighting ongoing challenges in achieving housing equality.
When it comes to securing a mortgage, Black and Hispanic applicants face disproportionate obstacles compared to White and Asian applicants. Mortgage applications are denied for 18.4% of African American applicants and 13.5% of Hispanic applicants. Meanwhile, 10.6% of Asian and 8.8% of Caucasian applicants are denied.
African American homebuyers also reported experiencing the most discrimination in the home buying process, with 39% saying they were directed towards or away from particular areas.
Read more about the History of Fair Housing
2025 Snapshot of Race and Home Buying in America
According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), Black homeownership rates in America had the largest annual increase among all races in 2025, reaching 45%. However, other races still have higher homeownership rates, with Hispanics at 51%, Asians at 63%, and whites at 72%. When it came to first-time buyers, Blacks led at 49%, followed by Asians at 43%, Hispanics at 41%, and whites at 20%.
OC REALTORS® Fair Housing Toolkit
As a free member benefit, Orange County REALTORS® has assembled a Marketing Toolbox of resources for you to use during Fair Housing Month to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion as well and commit to upholding fair housing laws. We encourage our members to help advocate fair housing so together we can prevent discrimination and build thriving communities.
Visit our Fair Housing Toolkit for branded social media graphics, zoom backgrounds, and Facebook Frames to use during the month of April.
OCR's Fair Housing and Member Inclusion Committee
The purpose of the Fair Housing and Member Inclusion Committee, as outlined in the Strategic Plan, is to educate, engage, and empower the OCR community by cultivating resources and communication to create and sustain an environment that is inclusive, equitable and diverse and promotes fair housing for all.
Learn more about the Fair Housing and Member Inclusion Committee
Book Club Recommendation: The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee
Join us for an in-person discussion group held in a trusting environment. Snacks and refreshments will be provided!
Borrow the book from NAR or purchase a copy from Amazon - Start reading now!
In-Person Discussion: May 14, OC REALTORS® Fountain Valley, 3:30PM - 5:00PM
NAR's Fair Housing Toolkit & Resources
Check out National Association of REALTORS® Fair Housing Month Toolkit to download their poster and get additional resources to help you commemorate Fair Housing Month.
Visit their Fair Housing Month Webpage for additional resources, events, book recommendations, podcast and more related to Fair Housing Month.
NXT Up! Fair Housing. Every Day.
With hot topics in real estate, personal development, and best practices for your virtual or in-person business, this is a recurring event that you won’t want to miss.
Each session is designed to be interactive and encourage Q&A and open discussion. All sessions are free!
Upcoming Session:
April 2, Online Meeting: 8:00AM - 9:00AM
Commemorate Fair Housing Month with NAR as we honor the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and renew our commitment to opening homeownership opportunities for people of all backgrounds. Journalists Louise Story and Ebony Reed discuss their award-winning book Fifteen Cents on the Dollar and an expert panel will discuss the future of fair housing and technology. We'll also celebrate NAR's 2025 Fair Housing Champions, three REALTORS® who are advancing fair housing in their communities.
Upcoming Session:
April 10, Online Meeting: 10:00AM
C.A.R.'s Fair Housing Website
Check out California Association of REALTORS® Fair Housing Website for information about fair housing best practices, building inclusive businesses and organizations, and promoting more equitable communities.
Training:
Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing
The program helps real estate professionals learn tactics to interrupt stereotypical thinking so they can provide equal professional service to every prospect or client.
Participants will examine their ideas about people from various identity groups, explore the assumptions they may not know they're making, and learn how to be more comfortable working across lines of difference. By engaging participants in exercises to build new habits of equitable behavior, Bias Override helps REALTORS® overcome barriers to working with clients of diverse backgrounds and avoid fair housing pitfalls.
Completion of this course satisfies NAR's Fair Housing training requirement. All REALTORS® are required to complete Fair Housing training every 3 years along with Code of Ethics training. You must attend the course in its entirety to receive credit for completion. No CE credit is provided.
Upcoming Sessions:
May 28, OCR Fountain Valley: 9:00AM - 12:00PM
At Home With Diversity (AHWD)
The course work for the At Home with Diversity® certification is designed to enable you to work successfully with and within a rapidly changing multicultural market. It will help you to learn diversity sensitivity, how it applies to U.S. fair housing laws in your business, and ways to develop professional guidelines for working with people in the increasingly multicultural real estate market.
What You Gain:
- Knowledge of the subtleties of U.S. fair housing laws
- Business etiquette for specific cultures
- An edge in expanding your business to include international clientele
- Credit towards the ABR®, CIPS, and PMN designations
Completion of this course satisfies NAR's Fair Housing training requirement. All REALTORS® are required to complete Fair Housing training every 3 years along with Code of Ethics training. You must attend the course in its entirety to receive credit for completion. No CE credit is provided.
Upcoming Sessions:
Fairhaven: A Fair Housing Simulation
Fairhaven is a town every REALTOR® should visit. Online, that is.
NAR launched Fairhaven, a fair housing simulation training for REALTORS® that uses the power of storytelling to help members identify, prevent, and address discriminatory practices in real estate. Inspired by real stories, this innovative online experience has agents work against the clock to sell homes in the fictional town of Fairhaven, while confronting discrimination in the homebuying process. Learners will also walk in the shoes of a homebuyer facing discrimination. The training provides customized feedback that learners can apply to daily business interactions.
This innovative training platform is available to all 1.4 million NAR members at no additional cost. Be an advocate for fair housing and the future of our industry. Commit to combating discrimination in real estate.
Get started exploring the fictional town of Fairhaven and assess how well you are adhering to fair housing principles.
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