FAIR HOUSING & INCLUSION
Equal Opportunity For All
Fair housing laws are a cornerstone of community, here in the Northern Rhode Island real estate industry and throughout the country. As REALTORS® it is our commitment to uphold fair housing laws and offer equal professional service to all in their search of real property. Members can access numerous Fair Housing resources from the Association here.
There are federally protected classes and state-specific protected classes nationwide. On a Federal level, you cannot discriminate against individuals on the basis of:
• Race
• Color
• National Origin
• Religion
• Sex
• Familial Status
• Disability
Rhode Island has 5 additional protected classes, which include:
– Gender Identity / Expression
– Marital Status
– Military Status
– Sexual Orientation
– Status as a Victim of Domestic Abuse
– Age
– Country of Ancestral Origin
– Housing Status
– Lawful Source of Income
If you are a consumer and you believe your rights to fair housing have been violated, you:
1. May file a complaint with US Department of Housing and Urban Development (or HUD). Cases will then be assigned to the Rhode Island office.
2. Contact the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights. You have up to one (1) year to file from the date of the incident but in any event, contact the RICHR as soon as possible so they may investigate the charge.
3. Contact the agent’s broker. If you have a complaint about an agent, contact that agent’s Broker to help you with your problem. Or the Broker can refer you to their local Board of REALTORS®, where you may file a complaint.
4. File an Ethics complaint with a local Board of REALTORS®. In Rhode Island we have 5 local Boards. The complaint would be filed with the local Board that the agent in question is a member of. A listing of NRIBR members can be found here.
National Multicultural Real Estate Organizations
Use the directory (link) to reach out to the local chapters or boards of the four national multicultural real estate organizations.
New Scholarship for 2025
Beginning 1/1/25, the Northern Rhode Island Board of REALTORS® will be offering a one (1) scholarship through 10/15/2025 to assist an under-represented individual in the Northern Rhode Island Community begin a career in real estate. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis or until funding expires. Applicants must be residents of Rhode Island, must provide evidence of a high school or GED diploma, 2 written letters of recommendation, and complete the application in its entirety, including an essay. Click here to access the 2025 Scholarship application.
Fair Housing course is now a requirement of membership
Effective 1/1/25, the REALTOR® Association now requires a 2-hour fair housing training class as a condition of membership. Existing REALTOR® members will have to complete continuing fair housing training between 1/1/25 – 12/31/27 and submit their certificate to their local Board for review and recording. NRIBR is not automatically notified when a member completes this class.
New members have 90 days to complete a fair housing orientation from the date they join.
Want to learn more the new requirement? Click here. The policy is based on a recommendation created by a work group composed of members of the Fair Housing Committee, Professional Development Committee, Association Executives Committee, and Membership Policy and Board Jurisdiction Committee and approved by the NAR Board of Directors in May 2023.
Completion of the new Fairhaven 2.0 (no charge), which launched 1/14/25, can be applied to this membership requirement as well as NAR’s At Home with Diversity Certification (online or in a classroom) and NAR’s Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing. If you complete some other 2-hour course in order to renew your real estate license in 2025, 2026 or 2027, the course must meet NAR’s learning objectives.
Fairhaven 2.0 launched 1/14/25
On January 14th, NAR launched a free, dynamic online simulation where real estate professionals tackle fair housing challenges head-on. Through realistic scenarios, practical insights, and historical context, you’ll explore key topics like steering, bias, disability accommodations, and standing up for clients facing discrimination. Fairhaven is 2 hours in length and will satisfy the fair housing training requirement of membership. Offers no CEU’s. Learn more here.
The Northern Rhode Island Board of REALTORS® is committed to celebrating and welcoming diversity in all facets of our organization and in everything we do. Throughout our mission and strategic plan this is a priority for our Association. Our members are individuals from every walk of life and background that contribute to the rich fabric of society.
Members of the Northern Rhode Island Board are REALTORS®. REALTORS® are held to a strict Code of Ethics as a condition of membership. They must treat all clients, members of the public, and each other equally, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The REALTOR® commitment to diversity and equality is the strongest in real estate, going a step farther than the federal Fair Housing Act, which does not include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes against housing discrimination.