Real Estate with Mr. G

From INMAN, full article at: NAR Responds To New HUD Guidance On School And Crime Stats | Inman Real Estate News

Detailed summary

• The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has responded to a letter from Craig W. Trainor, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and a statement from HUD Secretary Scott Turner, regarding the communication of crime statistics and school ratings to consumers, with NAR agreeing that consumers should have access to accurate and complete data during their home search.
• The main issue at hand is the source of the data, with HUD believing that sharing crime and school data is often wrongly equated with racial discrimination, undermining fair housing, and citing guidance from NAR, including an article titled “Is this a safe neighborhood? Don’t answer that.”
• NAR’s response points to its Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, which allows members to share neighborhood demographic information as long as it is not racial, ethnic, or religious, and notes that its guidance has been consistent for decades, encouraging members to share objective, factual information about schools and crime from reliable third-party sources.
• NAR also advises caution when discussing these topics, warning that subjective commentary, personal opinions, or hearsay about schools or crime can be cited as evidence of discriminatory intent and intentional steering in numerous fair housing enforcement cases, and cites various handbooks, manuals, and case law, including “Passwords and Prejudice: A Realtors Guide to Fair Housing Compliance” and “Fair Housing Handbook: Shared Neighborhoods, Equal Opportunities, Fifth Edition”.
• HUD Secretary Scott Turner criticized Biden-era policies as an effort to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology, while NAR stated that it will continue to review HUD’s letter and its implications for its members and the consumers they serve, and appreciates the opportunity to further engage HUD and other stakeholders to ensure clear guidance that supports both compliance and the ability of Realtors to effectively serve clients.
• NAR’s response concludes that the organization brings deep expertise in fair housing and its application in practice every day, and will work to ensure that its members can provide accurate and complete information to consumers while complying with fair housing laws and regulations.