What Does Equal Opportunity in Housing Mean?

*Race * Color * Religion * Sex * Disability * Familial Status * National Origin

These are the 7 'protected' classes under the Federal Fair Housing Act. In broad terms, according to the act, it is illegal to discriminate in the sale, rental, and financing of housing, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability.

Think about that for a minute.

And now think of all the people you know that fit into at least one of those categories. Go ahead, I'll wait while you think about it.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Everyone, everywhere fits into at least one of those categories. 

In fact, most of us can identify with more than one. When we talk about fair housing or equal opportunity in housing it should be as simple as

"Every person should have the right to choose where they want to live and live there." 

The only limiting factor can be affordability. Every person everywhere should be able to say "If I can make the rent or mortgage payments, I can live there."

Period. End of Story.

Unfortunately, it isn't that simple, nor is it the end. The Fair Housing Act became necessary because individuals and institutions - both private and public - weren't allowing everyone to make their own housing choices. We've come a long way since then but not far enough.

In my 35+ years in various roles in the real estate industry, I've discovered that I have a passion for equal opportunity in housing. I've studied it, lived it and tried to share what I know with others. In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, I'm dedicating some of my blog posts this month to messaging about equal opportunity in housing.

The Fair Housing Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on April 11, 1968. It's not a coincidence that 2018 is also the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (April 4, 1968). More on that in another post.

Some housing providers argue that the Fair Housing law is unfair to them. That the law makes them do things they don't want to do or shouldn't have to do. This is why I much prefer the term "equal opportunity in housing". It isn't about being fair it's about making sure that every person has the opportunity to live where they want to live regardless of who they are, what they believe or where they come from.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

Forbidden Drive

Today, 4 of us and Freya walked along Forbidden Drive and the Wissahickon Creek. The sunshine was a welcome reprieve from the rain and gloom that fell yesterday.

Today's walk/hike was about time. The plan was 1.5 hours out and back for a total of 3. I over estimated our willingness to get started right away so my alarm had us turning around after 1 hour and 35 minutes. Our total time on our feet ended up being 3 hours and 20 minutes. Do the math and you see that it took us 10 minutes longer in the return distance. Considering the natural tendency to slow down as the miles grow, and a much needed restroom break at Valley Green on the way back, we did well.

Our pace on the hills of the Horse-Shoe Trail will be slower and we will tire faster as a result. We were also bolstered by the I think we are on a good path to do well and have fun on our June 23rd adventure. 

On today's hike, I learned more about Sara's summer time trip to Alaska; that Martiza's daughter works for NASA (how cool is that!); how Martiza and her husband met (if you know her, ask her sometime it's a cute story) and that Freya has two speeds (Giddyup and saunter and not much in between).

Keep smiling and keep moving.
-Paula

Misery and Joy in the SNOW .....

The snow in this photo is newly fallen.
on the 4th day of SPRING!!!  

..... on March 25th!! With 4 Nor'easters in Pennsylvania - all in the month of March - snow was to be expected on the trail today. What was not expected was hiking in a steady more than a flurry of snowfall. I felt stuck in a roller coaster of emotions from "Wow! This is so pretty.? to "Um, this is nuts. It's SPRING. Enough already." I would have been caught in more of the former if it hadn't been for the wind in places.

This was hike #2 in preparation of our long hike on June 23rd. Our hike lasted just under 2 hours and covered approximately 4.5 miles. We started going up and over Mount Joy from the Knox HQ Parking lot. Then crossed over route 252 to return via Mount Misery. The story of Mount Misery and Mount Joy names is allegedly (emphasis on allegedly)

"William Penn went with some associates to negotiate with the Indians near the Susquehanna. Returning they took a short cut, got lost, and had to spend a miserable night lost on a mountain. The next morning they went off the mountain and up another mountain where they recognized where they were. The first mountain was thereby named Mount Misery and the second one Mount Joy." For the source of this quote and some history of Valley Forge Mountain, click here. 

Today's group included Sara, Mike and his dog Freya, Julius, Kathy, and Maritza. Kathy and Maritza.

Next week we will go out and back on Forbidden Drive for a total of 3 hours. 

Keep smiling and keep moving
-Paula

 

Long Hike Training Week 1

My friends and I have set our sights on a (roughly) 18 mile hike for June 23rd. Ok, I set our sights on it and they are just crazy  fun loving enough to go along with the idea.

June 23rd is the longest weekend day of the year. So, I suggested we celebrate with an all day hike on a portion of the Horse-Shoe Trail that has been designated a National Recreation Trail (NRT). It's a section I've hiked before (parts of it more than once) It's beautiful. It's also hilly and rocky. The Appalachian Trail thru hikers don't refer to PA as Rocksylvania for nothing.

I've determined we should prepare for a 12 hour day on our feet. I go back and forth on this quite a bit. We could plow through much faster than that. But that's kinda the point, I don't want to plow through. I want to explore and enjoy the beauty of the trail; take photos; stop for an extended refueling break about halfway and through it all not feel like we have to race the sun to finish, The rocks, the hills and the tendency for June to throw us a heat wave all support the 12 hour guesstimate. Better to be prepared for longer and go shorter than the other way around, right? And if nothing else, we will have fun getting back in moving and smiling shape.

A Truth about Blogging

I deleted this blog's Facebook Page today. I got tired of Facebook constantly reminding me that I did not post to the page enough. Enough for their liking that is and therein lies the basis for the delete. I don't need that kind of negativity in my life. I think the truth about pages is that although FB allows pages for things other than businesses that's really why the feature exists. If you don't post enough or buy leads you aren't satisfying Facebook's budget needs so Facebook feels the need to remind you of that. Ok that sounds like a rant on Facebook. But it isn't really. I like the platform for what I like it for. It has been a great way to stay in touch with friends and family near and far; to organize hikes and other activities with friends; and to follow things I want to follow. If I don't like a feature (in this case the page feature for my blog) then I don't have to use it. So I won't.

I created the separate page for my blog so as not to bother non blog readers with my posts. However, since most of my page followers were Facebook friends (past tense because the page doesn't exist anymore not because they are no longer friends) the reason for keeping a separate page doesn't make sense.

I think I had this delusion at one point that a page for my blog would increase its readership and by association increase interaction with people of like mind. Blogging is a wonderful outlet for the introverts with extrovert tendencies of the world. Of course, that delusion WAS silly because if one does not blog regularly one cannot expect readership and interaction to increase. DUH!

I won't make a new year's resolution to blog more. I've never found resolutions to be a source of motivation for me. I enjoy blogging though so I hope that I will blog more --- or more importantly perhaps have more experience and thoughts worth blogging about as well as the time to do so.

So if you are reading this - THANK YOU - and Happy New Year!! May it be filled with all the things you love and the patience to manage the things you don't.

Keep smiling keep moving
-Paula