The Fair Housing Act of 1968: Improving Our Kitsap Neighborhoods Forever

Photo credit: Nappy @ Pexels

In 1968, the Fair Housing Act became a part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, expanding protections for people of color and other discriminated classes when it comes to where they choose to live.  These protections included the rights of people when came to the sale, rental, or financing of properties.

The absence of those protections is a chapter of our history we never want to see repeated: it was legal to deny mortgages to women, people of color, Jews, Muslims, disabled persons . . . any class of citizen a lender might wish to exclude. Furthermore, lenders could exclude areas on a map they considered "high risk" (almost certainly any non-white community.) Failure to obtain a home loan largely means failure to become a homeowner for most people, in years gone by just as surely as today.  It was an effective tool in keeping segregation alive.

Kitsap, though not as diverse as tech-heavy King county, is impressively diverse for a relatively remote, rural county.  We can largely thank our military neighbors and their supporting industries (and our access to easy ferry travel to King county) for this positive effect.  At Dupuis Team, these factors are among some of the leading reasons we personally love Kitsap - the balance of natural and urban; the distance vs. access to Seattle; and the presence of our worldly, traveled, storied military neighbors and the professionals who support them at the Shipyard and so on. 

We have always had modest neighborhoods mixed side by side with more expansive homes, adding to a very egalitarian feel to the community that can be lacking in other areas.  Waterfront views are not the exclusive domain of million dollar real estate - and we embrace that ideal.  We would like to think these inherent factors of life in Kitsap, have helped support the diversity we enjoy in our smaller county.

As real estate professionals who can claim the title of Realtor®, we not only embrace the ideals of home ownership for all - we are actually held to the ideals of non-discrimination by the Fair Housing Act by law.  We must present listings with marketing that does not use any restricted language that might convey discrimination, we cannot discriminate in which properties we show clients, and so on.  This responsibility is one we take very, very seriously.  The bottom line is that improved housing choices for all, mean improved communities for all - and we stand by that ideal, every day.

We are here to serve our clientele as advisors to their housing search. Fair housing goes so much further than simply finding the right house in a search process free from discrimination. A good half of our job is to know real estate law inside and an out, and we are happy to be a resource to anyone who feels any aspect of their real estate transaction has suffered discrimination - appraisal, inspection, lending, etc. 

We stand by the Fair Housing Act as a foundation of modern American culture and life, and especially feel passionate about seeing it implemented with every single purchase in Kitsap.  We want to make our commitment to diverse clientele known, during our current times of social upheaval.  It's Pride month too - something sadly set aside for the most part this year, due to bans on large gatherings and celebrations, but also somewhat necessarily eclipsed by developing unrest.  We are reminded of the chaos that was Stonewall - but the good that has eventually come from that, and it offers us all resolve and peace. We all commit to whatever we can each do personally for progress, and recommit to the tools available to us professionally on our behalf of our clientele.

At Dupuis Team, we happily serve clients from all backgrounds and walks of life.  Please do not hesitate to call on any of us, for a warm welcome to Kitsap County.