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The Lehigh Valley is alive with rich, cultural diversity integrating different customs, traditions and lifestyles into neighborhoods. “As we all enjoy meeting new people and learning about other cultures, it’s important to remain open to and tolerant of cultures other than your own,” says Rosemary Scardina, CEO of the Lehigh Valley Association of REALTORS®.
“Our Association takes an active role in ensuring fair housing for everyone,” says Scardina. “Many of our members serve on community boards and volunteer at non-profit organizations that help to strengthen our relationships with the multicultural Lehigh Valley.”
An important component of the Association’s commitment to cultural diversity is LVAR’s Fair Housing Declaration which clearly addresses every issue of the Fair Housing Act, treating all people equally and fairly in housing situations regardless of race or ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability.
According to Scardina, there are members of LVAR who specialize in serving the Hispanic/Latino population and are fluent in Spanish. While other members speak languages other than English to assist those who are currently learning to speak English or those who have barriers to the language. “Achieving the American dream of home ownership is an equal opportunity for all. The comfort of working with someone who speaks a homebuyer’s first language makes the process much easier.”
And LVAR is not the only Association dedicated to promoting diversity and the enrichment it offers to neighborhoods and the area in general. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) offers a certification program called “At Home With Diversity®”. The educational experience is designed to present a picture of the changing face of the real estate industry. More importantly, the class teaches REALTORS® how to work effectively with and within a rapidly changing multicultural market.
LVAR addresses the topics of diversity, fair housing and business planning development with its membership and encourages them to participate in the “At Home With Diversity” training program. “National statistics prove that the face of our nation as a whole is changing and that’s true for the Lehigh Valley as well. Our job as REALTORS® is to ensure that we’re serving all cultures,” she adds.
According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2008 Profile of Homebuyer and Sellers, about one-quarter of first-time homebuyers identified their race or ethnicity as non-white. The 2008 Profile also reported the race/ethnicity of homebuyers per region. In the Northeast, the percent of respondents identified themselves with the following: White/Caucasian 89%, Black/African American 4%, Hispanic/Latino 4%, Asian/Pacific Islander 3%, Other 1%. Please note that respondents were permitted to select as many races and ethnicities as they felt applicable.
“We’re very conscious of ensuring that our leadership on the Board of Directors reflects people of different cultures. We want to make sure that we represent diversity when making decisions that will affect our membership as a whole,” says Scardina,
This article is provided courtesy of the members of the Lehigh Valley Association of REALTORS®. Visit us at http://www.lehighvalleyarea.com/. |