Advocacy Report – May 2021

On April 11, 1968 the Fair Housing Act was signed into law. This was the final major legislative achievement of the Civil Rights Era. SPAAR commemorates this historic achievement each year by celebrating "Fair Housing Month" in April.

This year, SPAAR promoted a variety of Fair Housing related activities and resources, including encouraging members to take the Fair Housing Pledge. Members were educated through the “Owning Up” class and the NAR Fairhaven housing simulation. SPAAR supplied members with a digital toolkit chockful of resources, including social media posts, graphics, and brochures ready for sharing. SPAAR also dedicated April's "Better & Better" Podcast to the topic and kicked off a book discussion of “The Color of Law”.

Additionally, SPAAR’s Advocacy Team worked with local governments to promote Fair Housing by submitting a Fair Housing Proclamation for their Councils to adopt. Burnsville, Oak Park Heights, Stillwater, Fridley, Woodbury, Roseville, Saint Paul, and Ramsey County were all signatories of a Fair Housing Month Proclamation.

Not only did these local governments affirm their support for Fair Housing but many also allowed SPAAR the opportunity to speak to its importance at the Council meeting. SPAAR’s Government Affairs Directors spoke about Fair Housing at the Burnsville, Oak Park Heights, and Fridley City Council meetings.

SPAAR members also participated in promoting Fair Housing. Brian Wagner and Patrick Ruble spoke at the Saint Paul City Council meeting while Mark Mason spoke at the Ramsey County Board meeting. They all did an incredible job in representing SPAAR and communicating the importance of Fair Housing.

The Fair Housing Act was and is a vitally important piece of legislation and certainly deserves commemoration. SPAAR is a staunch advocate for Fair Housing and will continue to work to spread the message about its importance.

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