Fair Housing Month Proclamation Guide

Each day, REALTORS® across the country - and in Iowa - work to ensure that homeownership is accessible to every American. But April holds a special place in the hearts of all REALTORS®.  Known nationally as Fair Housing Month, REALTORS® spend April reaffirming  their commitment to expanding homeownership opportunities through community activism, education and other avenues.

In Southwest Iowa, a group of REALTORS® spends the month hopping from one city council meeting to another, asking their elected officials to recognize the importance of Fair Housing by proclaiming April as Fair Housing Month.

Nikki Woods, a long-time REALTOR® and current vice chair of the Iowa REALTORS® Diversity Committee, helped to spearhead a local initiative in 2024 that saw nine communities officially proclaim April as Fair Housing Month. 

This year, Nikki, along with the other dedicated members of the Southwest Iowa Board of REALTORS® Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and the encouragement of their executive officer Amy Svoboda, set a goal to reach 11 communities in the area with Fair Housing Month Proclamations. 

“The first time I learned about Fair Housing was when I was working in a brokerage  as an office manager,” Nikki recalls. “I remember that broker going down to city hall to talk about Fair Housing and do a proclamation signing.  I had no idea what that meant.  It didn't mean anything to me at the time.”

But that soon changed when Nikki was going through a divorce in 2017 and had a family friend who was a lender try and talk her out of buying the home she was in, instead telling her to let her husband keep it, that she had no business buying a home. 

 “To me, that was odd,” Nikki said. “That triggered me to say, if this is happening to me, it’s happening to a lot of different people. That really struck a cord with me.” 

From there, Nikki became involved in local and state efforts to raise awareness about Fair Housing. The local association DEI committee consistently asked the city of Council Bluffs to recognize April as Fair Housing Month through a proclamation. But Nikki began to wonder why the group wasn’t reaching out to smaller communities, too. 

The purpose of a Fair Housing Month proclamation is for communities to reaffirm the commitment to fair housing principles and promote awareness of the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on protected characteristics. 

“We pieced together that we each lived in a different town,” she said. “There was always the idea that the proclamations might not be well received, maybe due to the fact that people didn't understand what it was. But we made it a goal that when we called to talk to city clerks, we explained what fair housing was and why we wanted to do it. We opened the dialogue to have the City Clerks and Mayors talk about it and see if it was something they would be open to doing with us.”

Each community the group approached expressed interest and invited the proclamation. 

“We went to nine communities that first year. It was fun, hectic and hairy because some communities have meetings on the same night. Sometimes there were just three of us, others there were more than 10 of us.

“We appreciate all the REALTORS® who take the time to show up for this. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but it makes a big impact.” 

Each proclamation signing was an opportunity to educate city officials and those in attendance at meetings about the importance of fair housing. With each signing, they strengthened relationships with local leaders and reinforced the message that fair housing is essential for thriving communities. 

This year, the group plans to help facilitate 11 Fair Housing Month Proclamation signings. 

Nikki encourages other REALTORS® to reach out to their communities to inquire about having a proclamation signed. 

“In my opinion proclamation signings are vital and an easy part of building your business,” Nikki said. “It starts with a phone call to a city clerk and a commitment to spreading awareness. Communities are open to the conversation, and by taking initiative, realtors can help create lasting change.”

The Iowa REALTORS® Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee crafted a Proclamation Guide to help members seek Fair Housing Month proclamation signings in their areas.