CREATING HOME FOR EVERYONE HOW CAN REALTORS PROMOTE

CREATING HOME FOR EVERYONE: HOW CAN REALTORS ® PROMOTE INTEGRATION? August 27, 2020 Erin Boggs, Esq.

OPEN COMMUNITIES ALLIANCE Embracing Diversity to Strengthen Connecticut Open Communities Alliance is a Connecticut-based civil rights non-profit working with an urban-suburban interracial coalition to advocate for access to opportunity, particularly through promoting balanced affordable housing development, including in thriving communities. 2

CT IS ONE OF THE MOST SEGREGATED STATES IN THE NATION Shaped by multiple factors: - Zoning - Subsidized housing locations - Limits on housing authority jurisdiction - Disinvestment - History of intentional segregating policies 3

IMPACT ON OPPORTUNITY Education Opportunity Score Economic Opportunity Score Housing/Neig hborhood Score Final Opportunity Score (Map) 4

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WHERE DO WE LIVE? OPPORTUNITY BY RACE AND ETHNICITY IN CT % of People by Race & Ethnicity Living in Lower Opportunity Areas Blacks: Latinos: Whites: Asians: 73% 26% 36%

INCOME & WEALTH DISPARITIES Blacks and Latinos earn, on average, half or less of what whites earn and, prior to the housing crisis, had a 10% or less of the wealth. This wealth disparity is projected to widen to POC having only 1% of the wealth that whites have. Forbes, September 2017, available at https: //www. forbes. com/sites/niall mccarthy/2017/09/14/racialwealth-inequality-in-the-u-s-isrampantinfographic/#1 baff 41734 e 8. 8

CAUSES OF SEGREGATION Government policies – in the past and today (subsidized housing; zoning) Private Acts of Discrimination Industry Acts & Practices Promoting Discrimination Income Disparities Individual Choices less of a factor 9

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF CHOICE? 10

WHAT DO FAMILIES WANT? Survey of 300 tenant-based voucher holders revealed: 11

CRITICAL ROLE OF REALTORS Realt ors se ll homes – and nei gh borhoo ds. Sellin g d iversi ty as a neig hbor hood ben ef it c an b e part of the job. Und ersta nd ing the history and my th s around affordable, mixed inc om e, a nd multifamily hou sing can be p art o f the job (impact on sc ho ols, p rop erty values, etc. ). Play ing a posi tive role in ensuring di scriminatio n does not occu r – inc l uding source of income di scriminatio n on the par t of cl ien t s who are landlords. 12

PROTECTIONS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AND SEGREGATION Federal Fair Housing Act Types of Claims R ac e—black or white § Intentional discrimination Color—skin tone § Disparate impact/perpetuation of Na tional Origin—country of an segregation in dividual’s origin or the cou ntry from wh ich the individual’s ancest ors came § A failure to affirmatively further fair housing R eligion—L imitation based on religious for recipients of certain grant funding (APA or spiritual beliefs claim) Sex —gender (recently being applied to sex ual orientation too) H an dicap/disability Fa milial Status—presence of children u nd er 18; pregnancy; persons in the CT Constitution Article First, Sec. 20 p roc ess of getting legal cus tody CT State Fair Housing Act Additional Protections § Gender Identity or Expression § Lawful Source of Income § Age (except minors) No person shall be denied the equal protection of the law nor be subjected to segregation or discrimination in the exercise or enjoyment of his civil or political rights because of religion, race, color, ancestry or national origin.

Erin Boggs, Esq. Executive Director Open Communities Alliance 75 Charter Oak Avenue Suite 1 -200 Hartford, CT 06106 Tel. 860. 610 -6040 eboggs@ctoca. org Check us out and join the coalition at: http: //www. ctoca. org 14