April Is Fair Housing Month, Focus Is on Harassment

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Fair Housing, Fair Housing Month, Jacksonville Real Estate, neighbors, real estate advice, Real Estate Team

Photo by Marcus Aurelius on Pexels.com

Saturday, April 11, marks the Fair Housing Act’s 52nd anniversary. Now, more than ever, it’s time to reflect why “we the people” must advance together as one nation.

In April, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) observes Fair Housing Month. The theme for the 2020 commemoration is Call HUD: Because Sexual Harassment in Housing is Illegal.

HUD says that theme serves a dual purpose: First, it’s a public awareness campaign that urges sexual harassment victims to “Call HUD” for help. Second, it reflects the Department’s continuing efforts to combat this and other forms of discrimination.

A detailed look at the Fair Housing Act and the Florida Civil Rights Act, including legal information on “testers” and 55-plus communities.

The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) joins HUD every April in commemorating Fair Housing Month, though the COVID-19 pandemic puts an unusual spin on it for 2020.

“Why think about fair housing in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis?” NAR asks in a release.

“Now, more than ever, is precisely the time to reflect on why the people of this country must advance together, as one nation. We cannot defeat coronavirus without foregoing our individual preferences and putting the health of the community first. And when the best public health advice is to stay in our homes, we are all at risk when the vulnerable among us confront the prospect of losing the roof over their heads.”

Many Americans lost jobs as the pandemic grew, notably those in the low-wage and service industries. In many cases, they have nothing to fall back on.

“Many face increased threats of evictions or foreclosures,” NAR says. “Some face xenophobic threats or violence. Many must take on increased unpaid caregiving work and have difficulty accessing necessary services. As community leaders, Realtors must ensure that we ease these burdens and move forward together.”

HUD says this year’s specific theme “focuses on protecting individuals from harassment by property owners, managers, maintenance workers or other residents, and helps to educate the public about what behaviors and actions constitute sexual harassment and what resources HUD offers to those that experience harassment.”

“This theme, which is a call to action, is an appeal to those who experience discrimination, particularly survivors of sexual harassment, to contact HUD for help,” says HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “Much work remains to be done, but HUD’s efforts in this area are already producing real results for real people.”

“Even as the nation is dealing with a health crisis unlike any we have experienced in recent history, HUD is open for business and working to ensure that no one has to tolerate harassment or unwanted sexual advances in the place they call home,” adds HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Anna María Farías.

This year, throughout the month of April, the “Humans of HUD” photoblog will feature stories from victims of sexual harassment in housing, highlighting the personal testimonies of survivors and those who helped them. FHEO will also be promoting its popular “Real People. Real Results.” (RPRR) series, which highlights the fair housing efforts of extraordinary people around the country. Every week in April, HUD will feature a fair housing hero who combats sexual harassment and other forms of harassment in housing.

Every year, HUD and its fair housing partner organizations pursue enforcement actions, work to enhance the public’s awareness of their housing rights and emphasize the importance of ending housing discrimination. Last year, the Department charged Facebook with violating the Fair Housing Act by encouraging, enabling, and causing housing discrimination through the company’s advertising platform. Overall in 2019, HUD and its partner agencies settled more than 600 complaints alleging discrimination based on one or more of the Fair Housing Act’s seven protected classes.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Realtors are community leaders who work to expand homeownership, build thriving neighborhoods, and uphold the highest ethical standards, NAR says, urging Realtors to continue to be those kinds of leaders in April and beyond.

© 2020 Florida Realtors®

CREATE AN EVACUATION PLAN FOR YOUR PETS

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advice, Hurricane safety, neighbors, Northeast Florida, pets, real estate, safety

Photo by Artem Beliaikin @belart84 on Pexels.com

An evacuation plan is a necessity for every home, especially if you live in an area where fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, and other disasters are a possibility. Many homeowners create evacuation plans for their homes and practice them with their kids, but far fewer have considered one for their pets. Take these steps to add your pets to your evacuation plan.

Assign pet evacuation to an adult. Everyone should know how to act during an evacuation, and that includes assigning one parent or adult to the pets. This allows the other parent and the children to focus on their part of the evacuation plan, so there’s no confusion during a high-stress moment when time is of the essence.

Keep evacuation maps and pet carriers readily accessible. If you need to evacuate, you should know exactly where every important item is. If you pets require carriers, keep them in a place that you can access easily.

Practice your plan. Include your pets in your home evacuation drills. It’ll help you see how they will respond and make changes to your plan if necessary. Getting your dog out of a window may not be as simple as you think!

Be prepared in case you get separated from your pets. No matter how much you drill your evacuation plan, it’s possible that a dog or cat will run off while you’re focusing on keeping your family safe. A microchip or a GPS-compatible tag can help you find your pets once it’s safe to return to the area.

Have any questions or are you ready to start your new home search in 2019? Give us a call today!  Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS, Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside 904-515-2479 http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com

 

Making Good Neighbors

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good neighbors, homes for sale, homes for sale in Jacksonville FL, jacksonville real, neighborhood, neighbors

Living next door to someone doesn’t make you a neighbor. It makes you the stranger next door! One of the great opportunities we have in our communities is the chance to build real, meaningful relationships with the people who live closest to us.

While I understand the desire for privacy, I think it’s important we realize that regular, helpful communication with our neighbors makes us both safer and paves a smooth road for difficult conversations we might face with our neighbors in the future.

It doesn’t take much to start off the right way. Consider leaving a nice note in their mailbox, a small “thank you” gift for looking out for the neighborhood, or some other “olive branch” act that will build rapport.

Small gestures such as a nice note about landscaping, an invitation to a potluck, or an “all hands on deck” community improvement project allow us to get to know our neighbors. This is vital when you consider the people around you are the most likely to spot smoke in a fire, clue you in to suspicious activity, and have the opportunity to share vital local information.

What’s more, if you build a positive base with your neighbors, when the time comes to have a difficult conversation (such as a nuisance dog, kids running amok, or intrusive lighting issues), you’ll have a buffer of mutual respect and goodwill to draw on.

If your opening conversation with a neighbor is a complaint, you’re setting yourself up for a long, antagonistic relationship. Who wants to live next to that?

We think a civil community depends upon our connection to our neighbors. We all benefit when we depend on and trust one another!  Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS The Hanley Home Team Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside 904-515-2479

How to Prepare for a Hurricane at the Last Minute | Today’s Homeowner

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advice, Florida, home safety, Homes for sale in Jacksonville, hurricane Matthew, Hurricane safety, Jacksonville, neighbors, safety, storm safety

Read this article for important tips on how to keep your family and home safe when a hurricane catches you unprepared.

Source: How to Prepare for a Hurricane at the Last Minute | Today’s Homeowner

• Secure Outdoor Furniture:

  Loose items in your yard can become flying projectiles during a hurricane due to high winds. Move any unsecured items in your yard – including patio furniture, lawn chairs, bird feeders, hanging plants, and toys – inside your house or garage if possible. If you can’t move outdoor item in, use a strong rope or garden hose to tie them securely down.

• Move Cars to Safety: Cars are often damaged or destroyed by falling trees or windblown debris during a hurricane. If you have a garage, park your cars in it and close the garage door. If not, position cars close to your home on the lee side of expected winds and away from trees to provide some shielding from the storm. Avoid parking cars near power lines or trees.
• Find Utility Cutoffs: Identify the cutoff switches and valves for your water, power, and gas; and know how to turn them off in case of an emergency. Severe damage to your home from a hurricane can cause a short or power surge in your electrical system, and may also result in ruptured water or gas lines. Cutoffs for water and gas are usually located at or near the meter for each utility. To turn off the power to your home, flip the main breaker in your circuit breaker box.

 

• Make Ice: Power is often disrupted for days or weeks after a hurricane, and ice to keep food from spoiling will be in short supply. Set your freezer on the coldest setting, and make as much ice in the ice maker or ice trays as possible while the power is still on. Also, fill plastic containers or clean milk and water jugs with water (don’t fill to the top to allow for expansion), and put them in the freezer. Once the power goes out, place containers of ice in your fridge or an ice chest to keep your food fresh longer. Open refrigerator and freezer doors as little as possible.
• Charge Cordless Devices: Charge batteries on cordless tools, flashlights, cell phones, laptop computers, cameras, radios, iPads, iPods, MP3 players, and portable electronic games. Your cell phone may become your only link to the outside world if regular phone service is disrupted during and after a storm, so keep it with you at all times. A 12-volt DC battery charger will allow you to charge devices back up from your car after the power is out.
• Document Home and Valuables: If you don’t have a home inventory backed up with video or photographs, take photos or video now for insurance purposes in case your home suffers extensive damage during the storm. The camera on a cell phone can also be used to photograph your home. Send or email the photos to someone outside the area of the storm for backup, and put them on a portable USB flash drive to keep with you. A visual record of your processions and the condition of your home prior to the hurricane will be invaluable when dealing with insurance claims.

• Fill Bathtub with Water: Whether you’re on city water or a well, water supplies can be disrupted or contaminated following a hurricane. Use the water in the bathtub to fill the tank on your toilet for flushing or for washing in the aftermath of a storm, but not for drinking. Lining the tub with plastic before filling will keep water from leaking out of the tub drain. Five-gallon buckets and pots from your kitchen can also be used to store water. After the storm has passed, water from a pool can be used for flushing toilets. If your house is on a grinder pump, don’t flush toilets or use drains in the house when the power is out to prevent overflowing.
• Gather Emergency Supplies: Gather the following items together in a laundry basket or small suitcase so they will be handy during and after a storm: flashlights, batteries, first aid kit, battery powered radio, cell phone car charger, hand sanitizer, prescription drugs, games, sunscreen, mosquito repellant, duct tape, toilet paper, important documents (including your homeowner’s insurance policy), pet and baby supplies.
• Close Curtains, Shutters, and Blinds: To reduce the chance of flying glass if a window is blown out by high winds or flying debris, close shutters and blinds – both inside and out – along with drapes and curtains.

• Go to Safe Area of House: If you’re not able to make it to an evacuation shelter before the storm hits; take refuge in a windowless hallway, bathroom, or closet located in the interior of your home. Bring mattresses from beds with you, bot for comfort and for use as protection in case your home suffers severe structural damage.

How to Meet your Neighbors

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advice, foster connections, friendly, good friends, neighbors

Our neighborhoods are only as strong as the bonds we have with our neighbors. If you’ve recently moved into a new home or have noticed someone new move in next door, it’s not as hard as you might think to reach out and make a connection.

While we all want to preserve our privacy, the benefits of being good neighbors far outweigh whatever “exposure” we might fear in the process. Good neighbors make safer neighborhoods. Good neighbors often can share tools and resources to reduce expenses and increase convenience. Finally, good neighbors can become good friends.

Here are a few ways to foster friendly connections:

Compliment and/or ask questions about your neighbor’s home.

Is it obvious your neighbor has a great garden? Solar panels? An enthusiasm for the classic car he washes on Sundays? Open up a conversation with a polite compliment and genuine curiosity.

Ask for advice on a project you’re considering.

While you can probably Google about any home project you’re considering, it’s also an opportunity to ask your neighbor if they know anything (or know anyone who knows) about a project you’re interested in. This could be a home maintenance project, a business, or a community event.

Partner up for home maintenance tasks.

Working with someone is a great way to build rapport. Are you thinking about pressure washing your house? See if your neighbor wants to tag team the project together. You can split the labor and the cost of the equipment rental (to say nothing of a cold one after the job is done!).

Going it alone is harder than overcoming our resistance to meeting “the strangers” next door. Break the ice, build the neighborhood. You’ll be glad you did.

We’ve helped people find good neighborhoods and can help you, too. Let’s talk: Kevin and Jennifer, REALTORS – 904-422-7626 http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com or http://www.HanleyShortSales.com