It is a progressive plan that applies a proactive approach to fair housing issues. The Fair Housing Partnership Agreement sets up, on a national level, a model of discussion, planning and action that can be replicated at the community level. An important element in these discussions is the inclusion of other housing industry and community organizations. The focus on partnerships meshes perfecting with the overall goals of a national homeownership strategy, led by The White House, which aims to streamline the home buying process through the collaborative efforts of community-based housing partnerships. There is no room in our profession for housing discrimination.
Questions can arise, however, with neighboring properties.
This has been the case with daycare centers and group homes, and properties housing convicted felons. Real estate practitioners often find they must balance the need to protect a seller's privacy and civil rights under the federal housing laws with the buyer's desire to know information not related to the physical aspects of the property being sold. Although there are not many reported cases of practitioners being sued by buyers or sellers over stigmatized properties, the issue is assuming greater visibility as the tendency towards litigation increases in our society. More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia have laws or regulations dealing with stigmatized property. Widely differing state education and examination requirements create burdensome licensing barriers to licensure.