Milwaukee fair housing push

Milwaukee fair housing push



THE GREATER MILWAUKEE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS. WE ARE HAPPY TO WELCOME ANGELA WALTERS HERE TO THE FLOOR. TO THE FLOOR. LATE LAST YEAR, YOU BECAME THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO LEAD THE ORGANIZATION IN ITS 130 YEAR HISTORY. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS NEW ROLE. LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION AND THE NEED FOR IT HERE IN MILWAUKEE AND THE HISTORY OF THE FIGHT AGAINST HOUSING DISCRIMINATION HERE. YES. YEAH. SO THE GREATER MILWAUKEE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME. AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT FAIR HOUSING, IT’S SO IMPORTANT AS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN HOUSING, ESPECIALLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN PEOPLE. AND SO MANY OF US KNOW ABOUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT THAT OCCURRED IN THE 60 SE AND IN ADDITION TO JUST LOOKING FOR EQUAL RIGHTS IN GENERAL, THERE ARE ALSO MARCHES REGARDING FAIR HOUSING. AND SO THAT’S WHERE THIS COMES INTO PLAY. AND YOUR NEW IN YOUR ROLE. LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM GOALS FOR THE POSITION. YEAH. SO AS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN FOR THE GREATER MILWAUKEE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, MY JOB IS TO JUST INCREASE DIVERSITY. IT’S GREAT TO HAVE DIVERSITY AT THE LEADERSHIP LEVEL, WHICH REFLECTS OUR MEMBERSHIP AND OUR COMMUNITY. SO I’M EXCITED ABOUT DOING MORE OF THAT AND FOR FOLKS WHO ARE OR ARE IN THE MARKET LOOKING FOR HOUSING, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THEY SHOULD LOOK FOR IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THEY AREN’T BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST? YEAH, THAT’S VERY GOOD. SO THERE ARE SEVERAL PROTECTED CLASSES AND SO WHEN IT COMES TO FAIR HOUSING, THE KEY IS WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO BUY A HOME AND LIVE WHEREVER THEY CHOOSE TO LIVE. SO IF YOU FALL INTO A PROTECTED CLASS AND THERE ARE THERE’S A MILWAUKEE METROPOLITAN FAIR HOUSING COUNCIL FOR ONE, THAT’S A GREAT RESOURCE. IT EDUCATES PEOPLE ON WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE CONCERNING FAIR HOUSING. THERE’S ALSO THE GREATER MILWAUKEE ASSOCIATE OF REALTORS. IF ANYONE EVER FEELS THAT THEY’RE BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, WE TAKE THOSE THINGS VERY SERIOUSLY. AS A MATTER OF FACT, REALTORS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE’RE THE GATEWAY TO HOMEOWNERSHIP FOR MANY PEOPLE. WE HAVE A VERY STRICT CODE OF ETHICS THAT WE FOLLOW AND IT’S IMPORTANT THAT REALTORS FOLLOW THAT CODE OF ETHICS WHEN THEY’RE OUT SHOWING HOMES AND WORKING WITH BUYERS AND SELLERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY’RE NOT AUTOMATICALLY ASSUMING THAT PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE IN A CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOOD OR THAT THERE’S NOTHING SUBTLE OR THAT THEY’RE BEING CAREFUL OF THEIR WORDS WHEN THEY’RE WORKING WITH CLIENTS. AND WHAT ROLE CAN THE COMMUNITY COLLECTIVELY PLAY IN HELPING YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS WITH THE RIGHT TO WALK YOUR ASSOCIATION? REALTORS YEAH, WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COMMUNITY CAN DO IS JUST RECOGNIZE THAT COMMUNITIES ARE BETTER WHEN WE HAVE HOMEOWNERS AND WHEN THERE’S A DIVERSE POPULATION OF HOMEOWNERS IN A COMMUNITY, EACH PERSON IS BRINGING SOMETHING NEW TO THE TABLE, A DIFFERENT GIFT TO THE TABLES. AND ALL OF THAT MAKES THE COMMUNITY BETTER, MAKES THE NEIGHBORHOOD BETTER. WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE, WHEN THEY OWN VERSUS RENT, THAT THEY TAKE BETTER CARE OF THEIR PROPERTIES. WE KNOW THAT EDUCATION LEVELS INCREASE. WE KNOW THAT IT BUILDS WEALTH FOR FAMILIES. SO IF EVERYONE WERE JUST TO REALIZE THAT AND OF COURSE, PROPERTY VALUES GO UP WHEN YOU HAVE A GREATER POOL OF BUYERS TO CHOOSE FROM. ALL RIGHTS. ANGELA WALTERS WITH THE GREATER MILWAUKEE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN.

Milwaukee fair housing push

Angela Walters is the historic new leader of the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors.

Angela Walters is the historic new leader of the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors.