By Fletcher Word
The Truth Editor
The Greater Toledo Realtist Association held the GTRA Realtist Week 2026 April 12 – 18 with a full range of activities – from worship, to service, to advocacy, to forums on different issues facing both realtists and the general homebuying public.
On Tuesday, April 14, Fair Housing Day at the Glass City Enrichment Center was a forum for area realtists that offered them an opportunity to gain some insight from the Fair Housing Authority on a number of issues realtists should be aware of, particularly when it comes to discrimination in the real estate market.
Representatives from the Toledo Fair Housing Center – George Thomas, CEO and general counsel; Cristina Rodriguez, Housing Conditions and Neighborhood Reinvestment attorney and Deborah Riley-Jackson, senior Fair Housing specialist – formed a panel to discuss and elaborate on the issues raised.
About 40 realtists and guests attended the event and, after a breakfast buffet, catered by Bridgette Floyd of Bridgette Be Cooking, Rhonda Witty facilitated a quiz on real estate and housing issues in which the entire room participated.
The quiz, about two dozen questions/statements assembled by GTRA President De’Lisa Moore based upon her research of housing legal issues.
“Today it’s about making it real,” said Moore. “We want to make sure everyone is educated.”
Whitty asked the four tables to vote and form a consensus on their opinion of the statements – whether or not a particular statement was “fact” or “fiction.” As such, a number of the questions divided opinion among the group, leading to intense discussions and in-depth explanations from the Fair Housing panelists about the issue at hand.
A few of the questions:
“A landlord can ask where you are from originally during a rental application?” Fact or fiction, the group was asked?
The four tables all agreed that the answer was “fiction.” They were right. As the answer explained and the panel elaborated, asking about origin can raise national origin discrimination concerns and is unnecessary for screening.
“A landlord can refuse a tenant because they have children? Fact or fiction?
Fiction is the correct answer because familial status is a protected class.
“A seller can reject an offer because they do not want ‘those people’ in the neighborhood?”
Fact or fiction?
Fiction. Rejecting an offer based on protected class bias, or acting on it, is illegal and agents cannot participate or facilitate it.
“A housing policy can violate fair housing law even if there was no intention to discriminate.”
Fact or fiction?
Fact. Policies with a discriminatory effect can violate the Fair Housing Act even without discriminatory intent.
These were tour of the more than three dozen issues the Fair Housing Center panel and the room in general addressed in an effort to ensure the members of the Greater Toledo Realtists Association gained a better understanding of Fair Housing Act principles.
The Fair Housing Day was but part of a week of activities, starting with a Sunday Day of Worship at Canaan Manifested Word Church and culminating with a National Community Impact Day on Saturday, April 18 at Indiana Avenue Missionary Baptist Church