“The struggle to create housing that is affordable for people across the entire spectrum of income will be the defining civic issue for this generation of leaders in the Hudson Valley,” Pattern CEO Adam Bosch said.
Data shows that from 1996-2021, the Hudson Valley region lost a net total of 146,763 people to out migration, which calculates out to 5% of the Hudson Valley’s population.
Elected officials, seeking to appease vocal constituents, frequently uphold restrictive zoning laws that favor single-family residences over more diverse housing options.
WHITE PLAINS—Orange County Regional Director Eydie Lopez has scheduled the first Regional Meeting for Orange County HGAR members for Tuesday, Feb. 23, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Members will have the opportunity to meet and chat with Crystal Hawkins Syska, the newly installed 2021 HGAR President, and hear her vision for 2021. They will also learn about HGAR’s new Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee, as well as the association’s Leadership Accelerator Program.
Another important part of the meeting will deal with the National Association of Realtors’ new Fair Housing simulation, involving the fictional town of “Fairhaven.” Launched in November by NAR, the “Fairhaven” simulation uses the power of storytelling to help members identify, prevent and address discriminatory practices in real estate.
The simulation is actually inspired by real stories and has agents working against the clock to sell homes, while confronting discrimination in the home buying process. Agents will also have the opportunity to act as the homebuyer facing discrimination. The training offers customized feedback that Realtors can apply to daily business transactions.
“Our goal for this year is to strive to get as much participation in Orange County events as possible, either via Zoom or hopefully in person maybe toward the end of the year,” said Lopez. “I’m also happy that we have had several Orange County agents involved in the Leadership program and I’m anxious to hear from our regional agents about what more we can do to bring us all together.”
For more information about the event, please visit to event on HGAR.com. HGAR’s other regions including Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, the Bronx and Manhattan, will be planning similar events throughout the year.
These systematic barriers hindered the accumulation of wealth for African Americans for decades; this hindrance deprived many black families of the opportunity to pass down property and assets to future generations, thereby perpetuating economic disparities.
The program offered the latest home sales data and trends for Rockland County, updates on the NAR Commission settlement, and perspectives on topical business and political issues.
Receive original business news about real estate and the REALTORS® who serve the lower Hudson Valley, delivered straight to your inbox. No credit card required.
