In April, I had the pleasure of sharing the podium with some incredible people, including state Rep. Nicole Collier; State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez; NAR Director of Diversity & Community Outreach Programs Fred Underwood; 2018 President of the Texas Association of Real Estate Brokers (TAREB) Courtney Johnson Rose; and 2018 President of the Austin Board of REALTORS® Steve Crorey. We gathered in Austin to mark the 50th anniversary of the federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, and familial status.

While I am proud of Texas REALTORS®’ commitment to learning about and understanding fair housing, I agree with my fellow speakers who emphasized there is more for us to do to turn the promise of the act into reality.

Courtney Johnson Rose explained TAREB’s efforts in fair housing civil rights advocacy for Texas homeowners, highlighting that the organization still exists because there is much left to accomplish in fair housing.

Rep. Collier reminded us there is still potential for discrimination in housing. She told us she relies on Texas REALTORS® to be agents of change—and I couldn’t agree more. Fifty years have passed since the Fair Housing Act was signed into law, but our work is not finished. As long as we are in real estate, fair housing must be a priority. We must collectively commit to working toward helping all Texans find a place to call home. ”

Kaki Lybbert