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The Fair Housing Act of 1968, barring discrimination practices in housing, plays an important role in the residential management industry. The Institute of Real Estate Management and the National Apartment Association Education Institute have partnered to develop a new fair housing course. "Fair Housing and Beyond" (FHS201) is a highly interactive, DVD scenario-driven course that takes students "beyond the basics" to teach the critical thinking necessary for compliance with fair housing today and in the future.

The Fair Housing Act of 1968 marks its 40th anniversary this April. The act, barring discrimination practices in housing, plays an important role in the residential management industry. Providing substantive training on the application of fair housing law to daily real estate management activities is a real need within our industry. In response to this need, IREM and the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI) have partnered to develop a new fair housing course.

IREM President Reggie Mullins, CPM®, and Maureen Lambe, Executive Vice President of NAAEI, announced the official launch of the course at the IREM Leadership and Legislative Summit in Washington, D. C, in April.

The two Institutes were supported by the Chicago Apartment Association and IREM Chicago Chapter No. 23 in hosting the pilot of the new course March 18 in Chicago. The facilitators for this first offering were Marlene Dau, CPM, and past president of IREM Chicago Chapter No. 23, and Doug Chasick, CPM, a longstanding contributor to IREM and NAA education and national fair housing authority.

"Fair Housing and Beyond" (FHS20 1) is a highly interactive, DVD scenario-driven course that takes students "beyond the basics" to teach the critical thinking necessary for compliance with fair housing today and in the future. The 31 participants who attended the pilot responded very positively to the training, noting that this is a unique product in the fair housing training market.

"[The collaboration between IREM and NAAEI] has produced in my opinion the best video I have seen in my 20 plus years of fair housing training by making it so interactive," said Carl York, a CPM who attended the pilot.

IREM Headquarters would like to thank the following IREM Members who recorded testimonials for the DVD: Irving Blue, CPM; Howard Campbell, CPM; and Paula Lewis, CPM, ARM®.

"Fair Housing and Beyond" will be available for chapter sponsorship in summer 2008, with detailed sponsorship guidelines available in mid-May. Plans are also underway to offer a corporate sales program and a self-guided online course.