Equal Opportunity and Fair Housing

The Illinois Association of REALTORS is in full support and advocacy of the practice of equal opportunity in fair housing. It is our pledge to uphold the spirit as well as the letter of the law, through programs, activities and training designed to promote and further the right of equal opportunity in housing for all.

We believe equal opportunity exists only where there is complete freedom of choice in housing and we oppose any attempt to interfere with this freedom of choice.

We affirm our endorsement of and commitment to the Fair Housing Partnership Resolution of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Association of REALTORS, believing it to be a constructive, voluntary means of promoting equal opportunity through freedom of choice.

We pledge our continued support of and cooperation with the Illinois Department of Human Rights in our mutual efforts to assure equal opportunity in housing for all.

Fair Housing and the REALTOR Code of Ethics

Article 10 of the REALTORS Code of Ethics provides that "REALTORS shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. REALTORS shall not be a party to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. REALTORS, in their real estate employment practices, shall not discriminate against any person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin."

REALTOR Fair Housing Declaration

I agree to:

• Provide equal professional service without regard to the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin of any prospective client, customer, or of the residents of any community.

• Keep informed about fair housing law and practices, improving my clients' and customers' opportunities and my business.

• Develop advertising that indicates that everyone is welcome and no one is excluded;, expanding my client's and customer's opportunities to see, buy, or lease property.

• Inform my clients and customers about their rights and responsibilities under the fair housing laws by providing brochures and other information.

• Document my efforts to provide professional service, which will assist me in becoming a more responsive and successful REALTOR.

• Refuse to tolerate non-compliance.

• Learn about those who are different from me, and celebrate those differences.

• Take a positive approach to fair housing practices and aspire to follow the spirit as well as the letter of the law.

• Develop and implement fair housing practices for my firm to carry out the spirit of this declaration.

Protected Classes

There are seven protected classes under the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988:

• race

• color

• national origin

• religion

• sex

• disability

• familial status

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in places of public accommodations and commercial facilities.

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act makes discrimination unlawful with respect to any aspect of a credit application on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age or because all or part of the applicant's income derives from any public assistance program.

State laws and local ordinances also protect certain classes. In Illinois, sexual orientation was added to the state list of protected classes in January 2005. See Illinois Human Rights Statute.