Kevin Sears President | Official website
The National Association of Realtors® and Realtor.com® recognized three outstanding individuals with the Fair Housing Champion Award during the Fair Housing Month event titled "Many Rivers to Cross: America’s Ongoing Fair Housing Journey."
According to NAR President Kevin Sears, "Affordability and fair housing remain the most significant challenges confronting the real estate industry today, and I am immensely proud of the dedication displayed by our award recipients in expanding access to homeownership."
One of the winners, Eve B. Lee from Lake County, Illinois, has been instrumental in expanding housing opportunities for over 45 years. Shadrick Bogany, a prominent figure in Houston real estate, advocates for homeownership as a means of empowerment, especially within marginalized communities. Paul Yorkis, the president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors®, successfully lobbied the state government to translate real estate forms into languages other than English.
Mickey Neuberger, Realtor.com® Chief Marketing Officer, emphasized the importance of Realtors® in helping consumers overcome barriers to homeownership, stating, "We are proud to support the professionalism of Realtors® and especially these Fair Housing Champions, who are making a real difference by helping expand housing opportunities in their communities."
At the fair housing event, Alexia Smokler, director of NAR’s fair housing policy & programs, welcomed Patrice Ficklin to discuss the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) on its 50th anniversary. Ficklin highlighted the progress made in advancing women's access to credit and mortgage lending through ECOA, while also acknowledging ongoing challenges such as digital discrimination and unjust lending restrictions.
Thomas Sugrue, a civil rights historian, joined NAR’s Vice President of Policy Advocacy, Bryan Greene, to discuss the activism leading up to the 1964 Civil Rights Act's 60th anniversary. Sugrue emphasized the continued struggle against racial discrimination in housing and the need for strengthened enforcement of existing laws to address systemic barriers to fair housing access.
In conclusion, the work of these Fair Housing Champions and the discussions at the event underscored the ongoing importance of promoting fair housing and expanding homeownership opportunities for all individuals, regardless of background or circumstance.
