The Connection Bridgewater-Somerville Edition April/May 2018

www.theconnectionsnj.com Owner, Joe Byer P.O. Box 445, Somerville, NJ 08876 JerseyJoesLawnService@yahoo.com 908-413-3864 Mulching • Decorative Stone Brick Pavers Property Cleanups • Light Excavating • We Do It All LAWN SERVICE & MAINTENANCE 10 % OFF any job of $1000 or more or any Summer Contract NJ Lic. 13VH06655100 FULLY INSURED • FREE ESTIMATES Promote your Local Business In Print Connectionsnj@gmail.com www.theconnectionsnj.com Print + Digital + Social Media = Your Success! Reach over 95,000 Residences by Direct Mail 908-903-1799 THE CONNECTION C Bernardsville,BaskingRidge,Bedminster,Mendham, m l Bas n , m s FarHills, Peapack/Gladstone, Chester,Morristown e a H P ac Gl t e e r r o Connectwithus forgreatLOCALdeals! Go to www.theconnectionsnj.com APRIL/MAY 2018 Bernards-Ridge Edition Be ar Ri g E i i n VOLUME LXIV R B F APRIL/MAY 2018 THE CONNECTION Bridgewater-Somerville Edition g t -So e vi e E i R B F Connectw ithus forgreatLOCALdeals! Go to www.theconnectionsnj.com Bridgewater,Branchburg,Hillsborough, Martinsville,Raritan, Somerville B w B b i ri ia v VOLUMEXXXIX THE CONNECTION Warren,Watchung,Martinsville, Stirling,Millington,Gillette, GreenBrook,BaskingRidge,BerkeleyHeights,New Providence i tc s e i lli g G n B r e H , e o Connectwithus forgreatLOCALdeals! Go to www.theconnectionsnj.com APRIL/MAY 2018 Warren-Watchung Edition t t u d VOLUME LXIX R B F & Online! This spring we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. On April 11, 1968, President Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act into law. The Act states “It is the policy of the United States to provide, within con- stitutional limitations, for fair hous- ing throughout the United States.” The 1968 Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion and national origin. The FHA was amended in later years to pro- hibit discrimination based on gender, disability and familial status, and to increase enforcement of the law. The FHA, to date, includes seven protected classes: race, color, reli- gion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status. Even as the National Association of REALTORS ® lobbies the federal government toward expanding protections, indi- vidual states have taken steps to improve laws concerning access to fair housing. The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) offers additional protections that have not yet taken effect on a national level. NJ's LAD includes marital status, sex- ual orientation, gender identity or expression, sex, or mental and physi- cal disability. Both FHA and LAD apply to owners, agents, employees and brokers and require observance of equal opportunity for all when show- ing, renting, and sale of property. Similar to the high level of protec- tion offered by the State of NJ, the NAR's Code of Ethics endorses the most inclusive coverage of equal opportunity access to housing, nationwide. “REALTORS ® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial sta- tus, national origin, sexual orienta- tion, or gender identity.” (Article 10, Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice) Our national history includes dis- crimination, property damage, and violence surrounding equal access to housing. Though we can celebrate 50 years of progress toward equality in housing opportunity, there is work still to be done. Areas remain segre- gated, and examples of housing dis- crimination still occur. For example, the Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that the highest proportion of complaints involve discrimination based on dis- ability. Why is Fair Housing important? According to the NAR, “Fair Housing Makes US Stronger.” The places where we live affect our physical and mental health. Fair housing fosters healthy communities, assists in expanding educational opportuni- ties, and supports the creation of neighborhoods that are socially and economically diverse. For real estate professionals, adherence to fair housing law includes mandatory continuing education. Our profession teaches us that we have a serious responsibility to our communities as “stewards of the right to own, use and transfer private property.” Fair housing depends on a free, open market that embraces equal oppor- tunity, requiring leadership by the real estate professionals and mem- bers of each community. (Quotations provided by NAR, NJAR, and NJ Real Estate Commission) Commemorating 50 Years of Fair Housing By: Johanna Wiseman PAGE 48 home & design