Student Required Fair Housing/Bias Exercises
California requires students complete an interactive fair housing component for course completion. Please complete the following exercises.
- Take one or more of the implicit bias tests prepared by Project Implicit: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html. Discuss what you learned and share ideas to act equitably in your real estate practice
- Watch Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt’s video How to Check Your Unconscious Bias: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egw-iheD1Mc to learn where our biases stem from and how to identify the stereotypes that may impact how we relate to others in an unconscious manner. Discuss what you learned about bias. What was surprising
- Scenario: A family with diverse backgrounds applies for a rental property online. The landlord requests additional documentation from the family, including immigration status and marital status, which are not required by law.
- Discuss whether the landlord’s actions constitute discrimination based on familial status, national origin, or other protected characteristics. Explore how to respond to such inquiries in compliance with fair housing laws and suggest alternative ways for the landlord to evaluate rental applications without bias.
- Case Study: A single mother with two young children applies for a rental property. During the application process, the landlord expresses concerns about noise and potential property damage due to the presence of children and asks intrusive questions about the family’s childcare arrangements.
- Analyze the landlord’s actions and discuss whether they constitute discrimination based on familial status under fair housing laws. Explore the protections afforded to families with children in housing and discuss strategies to address discriminatory rental practices and promote equal treatment for all applicants.
