NAGLREP Attends HUD Globe Release of HUD Same-Sex Housing Discrimination Study

June 18, 2013 – NAGLREP proudly attended the HUD GLOBE event celebrating LGBT Pride Month with the release of HUD Same-Sex Housing Discrimination Study. HUD GLOBE presented “20 Years Working Together Towards Greater Visibility” on Tuesday, June 18 from 1-2:30 PM EST in the HUD Headquarters, Washington, DC.

The program began with a welcome address by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and the release of HUD’s first study on Same-Sex Housing Discrimination.  The meeting also featured Kenneth Carroll – HUD Director of Fair Housing Assistance Program Division Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity,  in addition to HUD Globe founders Peggy Mangum and Maryl Kerley, followed by a discussion on the visibility of LGBT people of color by Sharon Lettman-Hicks – Executive Director/CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition, and lastly a panel on the history and visibility of LGBT employees in the Federal workplace including John Benison – HUD Director of Office of Departamental Equal Employment Opportunity, Stacey Long of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, Moderator Raul Alvillar – HUD Senior Advisor for Public Engagement Office of Public Affairs.

 HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan addressing the attendees with the release of HUD’s Same-Sex Housing Discrimination Study

Left to right: Sharon Lettman-Hicks – Executive Director/CEO National Black Justice Coalition, Brian Steckler – HUD Attorney – Advisor, Kenneth Carroll – HUD Director of Fair Housing Assistance Program Division Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

HUD Globe founders Peggy Mangum and Maryl Kerley

Left to right: Panelists John Benison – HUD Director of Office of Departamental Equal Employment Opportunity, Stacey Long of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, Moderator Raul Alvillar – HUD Senior Advisor for Public Engagement Office of Public Affairs

Left to right: NAGLREP founder Jeff Berger, HUD Globe founders Peggy Mangum and Maryl Kerley, Kenneth Carroll HUD Director of Fair Housing Assistance Program Division, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

An Estimate of Housing Discrimination Against Same-Sex Couples – Executive Summary

Meeting agenda

NAGLREP Attends White House LGBT Pride Month Reception 2013

NAGLREP founder Jeff Berger proudly attended the White House LGBT Pride Reception June 13, 2013 as an invited guest by President Barack Obama.  It was a sense of great appreciation and pride to have been invited to such an event as a result of NAGLREP’s accomplishments to LGBT Fair Housing.  The day began with an Advisory Meeting at the White House Dwight Eisenhower Executive Office Building as White House Senior Staff addressed approximately 100 national leading LGBT advocates.  Later that evening guests attended the LGBT White House Reception hosted in the East Wing of the White House. 

NAGLREP Founder Jeff Berger as President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden addressed attendees of the White House LGBT Pride Reception

 President Barack Obama shaking hands with guests after his address

 NAGLREP Founder Jeff Berger and US Congressman John Lewis 

NAGLREP Founder Jeff Berger and Stuart Milk, Harvey Milk’s nephew and Co-Founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation

Invitation from President Barack Obama to the White House LGBT Pride Reception 2013

Agenda for Morning Advisory Meeting hosted at the White House Dwight Eisenhower Executive Office Building

President Barack Obama’s Proclamation to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Month 2013

NAGLREP Welcomes HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan as Guest Speaker

Left to Right: NAGLREP members with HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, NAR Vice President of Government Affairs Division Joe Ventrone

NAGLREP proudly welcomed HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan to our NAR Midyear meeting in DC May 15, 2013.  Secretary Donovan addressed approximately 100 NAGLREP members and allies in attendance and highlighted the many accomplishments the Administration and HUD have realized on behalf of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender (LGBT) Americans.

The presence of HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan at the NAGLREP meeting was welcomed with open arms for what NAGLREP is calling 2013 a “pivotal year for LGBT Fair Housing”.  This November 8-11, 2013 NAGLREP will be in San Francisco to attend the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) annual meetings and on November 11 from 1-2:30pm NAR’s Delegate Body will cast a final vote on NAGLREP’s proposal to include gender identity protections to the NAR Code of Ethics.  NAGLREP has successfully already lobbied for sexual orientation protections to the NAR Code of Ethics.  See http://live.blogs.realtor.org/2012/05/16/diversity-committee-unanimously-votes-to-include-gender-identity-protections-in-nar-code-of-ethics/  

NAR’s Code of Ethics includes both REALTOR to customer conduct and also workplace conduct and with NAR being the largest trade organization in the USA with over 1 million members this is very significant to strengthen the case for for both an amendment to the Federal Fair Housing Law and to ENDA, the Employment Non Discrimination Act.

NAGLREP joins ILGA – International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Intersex Association

Gay Real Estate Trade Association NAGLREP is proud to announce they have joined ILGA, the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association.  ILGA serves as the global LGBT lobby to the United Nations (UN).  NAGLREP has joined ILGA in an effort to better their global mission of advocacy and business and to further support their LGBT family worldwide.  Here is a link to the NAGLREP profile on the ILGA website http://ilga.org/directory/en/detail?o_id=8637

NAGLREP to Host 2013 Midyear Meeting in DC at Pivotal Time for LGBT Fair Housing

We recently sat down with NAGLREP, the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals founder Jeff Berger, a REALTOR in Boca Raton, FL.  NAGLREP is very much looking forward to spring home buying season and also to our 2013 midyear meeting hosted in Washington, DC this May 15th at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

The NAGLREP midyear meeting coincides with the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) midyear meetings and is a pivotal time for LGBT fair housing. It was just last year during the 2012 NAR midyear meetings when the NAR Diversity Committee voted unanimously on NAGLREP’s proposal to include gender identity protections to the NAR Code of Ethics. Then in November during the 2012 NAR annual meetings in Orlando the NAR Professional Standards Committee and Board of Directors voted in favor of NAGLREP’s proposal. The final vote will be cast by the NAR Delegate Body this November in San Francisco during the NAR 2013 annual meetings and if the vote is in favor of the change, then the policy will go into effect January 1, 2014.

In addition to NAGLREP presenting their final case for the gender identity proposal, the midyear meeting will also be focused on the future of same sex marriage and how REALTORS will have a continued role in assisting LGBT couples buy and sell real estate.

Following the midyear meeting, NAGLREP members and guests will celebrate that evening from 6-8pm at Nellie’s Sports Bar during their annual Midyear cocktail party. Nellie’s is a fun LGBT sports bar in DC and the party will be hosted on the outside roof deck. It will surely be a great night out.

Gay Real Estate Professionals assisting LGBT Families Navigate Home, School, and Safety

An excerpt from “Family Pride: What LGBT Families Should Know about Navigating Home, School, and Safety in Their Neighborhoods“, by Michael Shelton is the first book for LGBT parents, their families, and allies that emphasizes community and safety.

For same-sex parents, knowing the facts about a community’s diversity and inclusiveness are of resounding importance in their selection of a new home.

Recent research on LGBT-parented families informs us that:

• Twelve to twenty percent of LGBT couples are raising children; another estimate is that one third to one half of lesbian and bisexual women and twenty percent of gay and bisexual men have a child.
• Same-sex couples of color are more likely than their white counterparts to be raising children.
• Gay men and lesbians raising children are more likely to be living in southern and/or rural states.

We also know that many LGBT families are moving from less hospitable regions of the country into geographical areas known to be welcoming.  What information then should REALTORS have readily available when working with LGBT families?  Consider beginning with the selection criteria of the Human Rights Campaign’s 2011 “On the Road to Equality” tour, which targeted states less welcoming of LGBTs.  The HRC looked at these states’ legal recognition of LGBT relationships, nondiscrimination laws, marriage amendments to the state constitution, and inclusion of sexual orientation and/or gender identity into their hate crimes laws (or if such a law even existed in a particular state).  HRC statewide criteria of particular relevance to LGBT parents were laws regarding second-parent adoptions, safe schools policies, and statutes restricting positive discussions of LGBT issues in schools.

At the local level, the LGBT parents I interviewed for my book Family Pride: What LGBT Families Should Know about Navigating Home, School, and Safety in Their Neighborhoods consistently reported their most pressing concern was the safety of their children, who experience a multitude of problems, including avoidance, harassment, bullying, and violence.  The also questioned:

• How the local government treats its LGBT employees, including domestic partner benefits, legal dependent benefits, and family leave policies
• Whether local public schools actively endorse heterosexuality as the “normal” and “right way to live”
• The availability of religious institution supporting LGBTs
• The relationship between local police enforcement and the LGBT community
• The availability of professional resources (medical and mental health providers) open to working with LGBT’s.

While some LGBT families are fortunate to live in communities that welcome and even celebrate diversity, the majority lives in areas in which their treatment ranges from indifference and marginalization to censure and hostility.  Many will ultimately seek out the opportunity to relocate to a new neighborhood, a new city, or even a new state, and REALTORS will play no small role in this exodus.

NAGLREP – JEFF BERGER REALTOR & Founder Interview

It is been an exciting time for the LGBT Real Estate Community.  Founded in 2007 by REALTOR Jeff Berger, NAGLREP is a trade organization with a mission of advocacy and business.

NAGLREP is best known for assisting the LGBT and all communities locate  LGBT & Gay Friendly REALTORS and for their work in helping amend the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Code of Ethics to include sexual orientation as a protected class.  Prior to sexual orientation being included to the NAR Code of Ethics in January 2011, sexual orientation in housing discrimination was more or less an unspoken topic within the REALTOR community. Prior to the change, if an LGBT person was discriminated against by a REALTOR for their sexual orientation there was no action taken because there were no rules to act upon at NAR. The most recent changes are bringing awareness to the topic and setting a new standard for fair housing and employment non discrimination. HUD soon after in 2011 announced similar policy including sexual orientation and gender identity non discrimination. Thankfully the number of complaints since the change has been limited but it is important to note that there have been recorded incidents of discrimination.

The NAR code of ethics includes both REALTOR to customer conduct and employment conduct. We have been asked why this matters so much and it is our belief that the change will have even a larger impact than fair housing. NAR is the largest trade organization in he United States with over 1 million members. NAGLREP feels the recent change will set a precedent when Congress looks at ENDA, the employment non discrimination act. Congress will clearly see NAR as an example of how other trade organizations and businesses administer policy.

NAGLREP also feels confident that gender identity will also be added to the NAR Code of Ethics by January 2014. NAGLREP introduced the proposal to NAR in 2011 and already the concern has received a unanimous vote in 2012 by the NAR Diversity Committee, NAR Professional Standards Committee, and the NAR Board of Directors. The next and final vote will be by the NAR Delegate Body this November 2013 during the NAR annual meetings in San Francisco.

Jeff Berger is soft spoken and says “Overnight success takes ten years.  NAGLREP just celebrated our 5th annual meeting and we look forward to the next 5 years and thereafter.”

Jeff Berger is a REALTOR with Keller Williams Realty serving East Boca Raton & East Delray Beach, FL, serves as the CEO of NAGLREP, is a member of the 2013 NAR Housing Opportunity Committee, and is a member of the 2013 Florida REALTORS Diversity Committee.  He can be reached via email berger.jeff@gmail.com and via phone 561-865-6117.

NAR votes YES to amend NAR Code of Ethics to include Sexual Orientation

11/8/10 – During the 2010 National Association of Realtors (NAR) annual meeting in New Orleans, NAR’s delegate body voted to amend the NAR Code of Ethics to include sexual orientation as a protected class. The proposal was originally brought forward by the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP), and the Wisconsin Realtor Association. The historic change passed with 93% of NAR’s delegate body in favor of the amendment.

A protected class had not been added to the NAR Code of Ethics since 1998, and it is the first time NAR has recognized in their code a protected class before the federal government has.  In 1988 federal fair housing law changed to include people with handicaps and families with children and the NAR Code was amended to match the federal law.

After the vote, NAGLREP founder Jeff Berger talked with the 2010 NAR President Vicki Cox Golder.   Jeff says ” Mrs. Vicki Cox Golder has been so supportive of the effort, is a wonderful woman, and she left behind an amazing legacy.  Congratulations to her!”

For a brief background leading to the historic vote, see

https://www.wra.org/WREM/Dec10/Article10/

Here is the amended language of Article 10 (additions are underlined):

REALTORS® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or sexual orientation. REALTORS® shall not be parties 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, or sexual orientation.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, or sexual orientation.A related recommendation amending Standard of Practice 10-3 was approved as well:

REALTORS® shall not print, display or circulate any statement or advertisement with respect to selling or renting of a property that indicates any preference, limitations or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or sexual orientation.

Gay Realtor Advocacy Call For Action – NAR Code of Ethics/Sexual Orientation Amendment

On November 8th during the NAR annual meetings in New Orleans, NAR’s delegate body will make the final vote on the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP) proposal along with the Wisconsin Realtor Association to amend the NAR Code of Ethics to include sexual orientation as a protected class.  As we know, the proposal has already been unanimously approved by NAR’s Professional Standards Committee, and the amendment has also been approved by NAR’s Board of Directors.
For a quick refresh of the topic, see  http://www.realtor.org/government_affairs/diversity/coe_amend_2010

NAGLREP Board of Directors recently convened via conference call, and our final plan for the best results for the delegate vote is as follows:

We are requesting all NAGLREP members and their Gay & Gay Friendly Realtor friends contact their local and state REALTOR Association Presidents and find out if they will be participating in the delegate vote during the NAR Convention in New Orleans, as it is one of the last Convention events on Monday November 8, and not everyone stays for it. If they are attending and if you are comfortable reaching out to this individual and believe he/she will be receptive, let him/her know you support the Article 10 amendment, express why, and request they vote positively on November 8th in New Orleans. If they do not intend to stay, the Association can authorize another Association member to vote for the Association.

Once you have contacted your local and state Realtor Association President, please email us via naglrep@gmail.com their name, telephone number, and a brief summary of your contact.  It is important for us to know who has been contacted.

Here is a map of states that already include sexual orientation and both sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes.  If you are located in a state referenced on this map, a strong speaking point will be to reference the fact http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/issue_maps/non_discrimination_7_09_color.pdf

Other talking points are:

Why local and state REALTOR® Associations should support the Article 10 amendment:
1. REALTORS® hold themselves to higher professional standards. The Code of Ethics represents a “criterion of excellence.” If we hold ourselves to the highest level of professional conduct we should not tolerate discrimination against any person seeking our assistance as they look for a place to live.

2. It is good business. It benefits REALTORS® to provide fair and equal real estate services to everyone because we increase our number of transactions and enhance the success of our brokerage companies. Can we afford to exclude anybody?

3. NAR, as the national voice of real estate, should lead the way in opposing discrimination based upon sexual orientation.

4. As REALTORS® we have the fiduciary responsibility to our clients and customers to provide the highest quality of professional service and that doesn’t happen when REALTORS® close doors or exclude anyone as a potential buyer, renter or seller.

5. It is time for REALTORS® to stand up and say it is unethical to discriminate based on sexual orientation.

You may forward this link to other LGBT and gay friendly Realtors who are friends of ours asking for their support in completing the same task.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.  If you should have any questions, please email or call us at 561-865-6117.  NAGLREP is located in Delray Beach, FL on EST.

GREEN Eco-Friendly Modular Homes by NAGLREP member Dianne Vernon

Extreme Makeover Home Edition Custom Modular 05/24/10

Modular homes have been highlighted on HGTV, New Old House, The Washington Post, The History Channel, and many more.  Last Sunday one of our primary suppliers, Palm Harbor Homes, was featured on the hit network TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s 2010 Season Finale.  This is the first time that a modular home has ever been featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The house is built by Palm Harbor Homes / Nationwide Homes, the parent company of Discovery Custom Homes which we feature on our web-site. Cutting Edge Homes has supported this project as much as we were able since before the show was filmed.  We made an initial donation to help pay for appliances in the Williams home and a second donation that contributed to paying off the entire debt that the Williams family had on their demolished old home. The home is made of 12 modules trucked to the home site and crane-lifted into position. It has 4,151 sf under roof, and 3,700 square feet of heated area. This home is Certified Gold under the National Green Building (NAHB) program and is ADA compliant to accommodate the father who suffers from ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease and the son who is a paraplegic from Spina Bifida. A full solar energy array was donated by Atlantic Service and Supply to help keep cost of living down after the move-in. The time required to set the home and weather it in, was one full day. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition aired on Sunday night at 8:00 PM on ABC. If you have a family member, a friend, or real estate agent who thinks that a modular home is the same as a manufactured home, make sure they watch the show…those misconceptions are about to be shattered forever!!! Here are several other articles about modular homes that we hope you will find interesting: You can read the Bob Villa article titled Modular Homes Make Sense by clicking this link. The HGTV Pro article titled Building Off-Site can be read here. Jennifer Openshaw is a noted columnist, financial adviser, and author, she has also noted the value of modular in her article titled Factory Direct To You which is an excellent read. The Washington Post article titled Mansions Go Modular addresses the higher-end of the market. After reading these articles, please email us and let us know if they have been helpful to you. Additionally, we are very interested in hearing what you think of the show.  After you see the beautiful Williams house installed on TV, please take a few minutes to let us know your thoughts by emailing us at info@cuttingedgehomes.net Feel free to call or email to get your questions answered. Thanks, I look forward to your call. Dianne Vernon Cutting Edge Homes Inc. 1-877-630-7732 Diannevernon@sbcglobal.net P.S.  Here is a sneak preview of the pictures from the construction of the Williams family home, and you can also see the Williams Family floor plan.