A Bloomington-based Realtors group is trying a new way to educate people about their rights when looking to buy or rent a home.
The Mid-Illinois Realtors Association (MIRA) will host its inaugural Fair Housing Affair from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at the YWCA McLean County. The purpose of the event is to educate people on how you should be treated when buying or renting a home, the process of homeownership, and what you might need to get ready to buy. April is Fair Housing Month.
Achieving homeownership can be a difficult process with many barriers, especially in a tight housing market like Bloomington-Normal’s and many other U.S. cities. Inventory shortages and economic development are putting a squeeze on many, raising prices and rents.
In an interview with WGLT’s Sound Ideas, CEO of the Mid-Illinois Realtors Association Diane Cote explained why fair housing is important in Bloomington-Normal.
“Helping people understand, if they’ve had barriers to homeownership, what some of those barriers might be, and partners that can help them in finding ways to overcome those barriers.”
Partners at Sunday’s event include Mid Central Community Action, Prairie State Legal Services, and city and state agencies, among others.
And it’s not just for homebuyers. Renters are also welcome. Anyone looking to buy or sell property should be treated fairly, regardless of their race, religion, culture, and any other protected classes under the Fair Housing Act. Coted noted that the laws have recently changed regarding “source of income,” making it a protected class, related to Section 8 housing. That’s a voucher program providing housing assistance to low-income families. People who are on Section 8 have the same opportunity to housing in private markets while having access to other housing rights. This includes equal treatment when they are looking at properties and being assessed for buying a property.
One of the organizers of Sunday’s event is Garrett VonDerHeide, a local Realtor who is chair of MIRA’s Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. VonDerHeide said the committee’s mission is to strive for a real estate profession that cultivates diversity, equity, and inclusion for all individuals.
“Our vision as a committee is to embrace a sense of belonging within the community which removes barriers from homeownership and the real estate profession,” VonDerHeide said.
During Sunday’s open house-style event, community members can learn about fair housing and listen to community speakers who have experiences and success stories undergoing homeownership.
“Our step that we’re taking as an association is to put on a free public event like this one to spread the information from the community partners that we’re doing this event with,” VonDerHeide said. “We want to get that information out, and we feel one of the first steps is getting a resource and having a place for people to go to get that information.”
