The California Association of Realtors is apologizing for its history of supporting discriminatory policies, including backing Prop. 14 in the 1960s, which successfully overturned California’s first fair housing law.
“We have continued to unpack our difficult and sometimes obscure history of opposing fair housing laws, promoting segregation and racial exclusion prior to the Fair Housing Act of 1968. As an organization that deeply values inclusion, we can’t change the actions of the past, but we are taking bold action now to help build a more equitable and just future,” said Otto Catrina, CAR President.
The California Real Estate Association (CREA), now known as CAR, once played a leading role in segregation and exclusionary practices in housing. For decades, CREA promoted policies that encouraged discrimination and the idea that neighborhood integration would negatively impact property values. The Association endorsed racial zoning, “redlining” and racially restrictive covenants.
“The Association was wrong. We not only apologize for those actions, we strongly condemn them, and we will continue working to address the legacy of these discriminatory policies and practices,” said Catrina.
CREA was also behind Article 34, a law passed in the 1950s that remains in place, making it very difficult to build affordable housing in California. The Association also excluded women and people of color from membership.
In the years since the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act and other fair housing laws, CAR has prioritized understanding and addressing the unique homeownership barriers impacting communities of color. Currently, CAR is working to address the legacy of discriminatory policies in a variety of ways, including:
● Offering a closing cost grant for members of underserved communities.
● Donating to the Black Wealth Builders Fund, a down payment assistance program for Black home buyers in the Bay Area.
● Partnering with and sponsoring the work of nonprofit organizations that support greater homeownership for members of underserved communities.
● Sponsoring and supporting a variety of policies that address supply and affordability challenges for communities of color.
● Co-sponsoring a bill that would overturn Article 34, a law California REALTORS® helped pass in the 1950s that makes it much harder for California communities to build affordable housing.
● Supporting a law that provides a system for redacting restrictive covenants in property records.
For more on CAR’s apology, click here.