NAREB’s Donnell Williams on AFFH rule termination and the housing industry’s legacy
August 11, 2020
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Today’s Daily Download episode features an interview with the National Association of Real Estate Brokers President Donnell Williams about the termination of the Obama-era AFFH fair housing rule.
According to Williams, the termination will have a negative impact on fair housing as it will leave many Americans vulnerable to housing discrimination.
“This will have a negative impact on fair housing, and it’s actually pretty horrible that the rule was rescinded as we were just starting to make headway in housing discrimination,” Williams said. “I mean, it takes time to have an impact, and the termination of the rule basically creates an atmosphere of fear. It set us back quite a bit, to be honest.”
When talking about President Donald Trump’s tweets regarding the termination, which ignited uproar from the housing industry as many perceived them to be prejudiced, Donell said they were inherently offensive and stoked the flames of racism.
“I think they are dog whistles and at its core racist. Without a doubt, it’s sending a [certain] message to some folks that is causing fear. It’s just crazy talk,” Williams said. “I mean, you’ve got bad apples on both sides. So, to label everyone is really not a good thing.”
“It’s a good thing to have integrated neighborhoods. If people can afford to live or build in a certain area, they shouldn’t be condemned,” Donnell said.” If [Trump] continues to stoke the fire, it could lead to neighbors becoming upset and having a misconception behind the purpose of fair housing.”
The Daily Download examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom team. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.
HousingWire articles covered in this episode: