Sussex County Realtors observe Fair Housing Month

Members of the Sussex County Council joined with the Sussex County Association of Realtors recently to formally observe and acknowledge the anniversary of the landmark 1968 Fair Housing Act.

Declared Fair Housing Month in Sussex County by the five-member council during the regularly scheduled meeting April 14, the proclamation marks the 47th year since the passing of the legislation, also known as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act.

“Along with tens of thousands of other Realtors across the United States, all of us at SCAOR take pause this month to honor and remember the anniversary of this game-changing piece of legislation,” says Fred Dean, SCAOR's 2015 president. “Everyone in this country should have an equal opportunity to own decent and affordable housing. While we realize the world is not a perfect place, this legislation went a long way to ensuring that would happen.”

Former President Lyndon Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act into law April 11, 1968, at the height of America’s civil rights movement.

While the law has allowed for significant advancements in fair housing practices, there is still work to be done. A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2000 revealed that white applicants were still favored 25 percent more often over black or Hispanic applicants of similar economic status and with similar credit scores.

In Delaware, a 28-member Human Relations Commission oversees housing discrimination issues. Appointed by the governor, these men and women hear complaints and rule on cases regarding discrimination and prejudice, particularly as they relate to fair housing.

The HRC was created in 1961 by an act of the Delaware General Assembly, predating the federal legislation by seven years. Its mandate is to promote amicable relationships among the various racial and cultural groups within the State of Delaware. Members of the HRC also administer Delaware's Equal Accommodations Law and Fair Housing Act, and work to increase public awareness of civil and human rights in Delaware.

“We were fortunate in Delaware that our leaders actually recognized some of the unfair practices going on in regards to fair housing and took action before being federally mandated to do so,” says Dean. “We have always applauded, and continue to applaud, the good work being done by the members of the Human Relations Commission. They really provide an invaluable service to all Delawareans.”

To read more about the Fair Housing Act of 1968, go to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website at www.hud.gov. To read more about issues related to Sussex County’s real estate industry, go to SCAOR’s website at www.scaor.com.