News from SFAR: Realtor Associations’ Grants, Programs and Initiatives

Placemaking, which creates outdoor public spaces and destinations for a community to gather, remains an important public asset. SFAR’s most recent Placemaking grant provided funding to refresh murals at a city-owned pocket park and construct a children’s reading chair. The Placemaker Initiative provides technical and financial assistance to help Realtor associations, and their members, initiate placemaking activities–transforming public spaces into vibrant communityplaces.

Housing Opportunity Program

The National Association of Realtors has always been a leading advocate for affordable housing. But with the growing gap between housing “haves” and “have-nots,” NAR’s leadership expanded its commitment to affordable housing in 2002 by creating the Housing Opportunity Program (HOP), which encourages and facilitates greater involvement in housing opportunities by Realtor associations. Funds are available to launch or support housing programs, employer-assisted housing or expanding housing opportunity courses, and forums to examine workforce housing issues.

Smart Growth Program

Smart Growth programs for Realtor associations focus on the concept that the healthier a community, the better the environment for all. Keeping a community attractive, livable and functioning well is a complex task. Whether a community is grappling with transportation and land-use issues, crowded schools or open space, or working to bring vacant properties back to productive use, NAR’s Smart Growth program has resources to help plant seeds that will pay dividends for the community for years to come. NAR offers many Smart Growth resources and programs specifically for Realtor association staff, including grants, issue research and assistance, publications, polling and surveys.

Fair Housing

As stewards of the right to own, use and transfer private property, fair housing protects our livelihood and business as Realtor and depends on a free, open market that embraces equal opportunity. The Fair Housing Grant program provides funding to Realtors associations to enhance the importance fair housing plays in the industry and in our communities.

Fair Housing Grants may be used to hold educational activities such as a class or forum, to host a speaker who can address fair housing issues or for speaker/author fees for a facilitated “book club” activity and to support activities that address fair housing issues in a community.

Rural Outreach

Rural Outreach Grants support local Realtor association initiatives, including trainings, forums, events, studies and ordinance drafting, on a wide range of rural issues, such as broadband, well and septic, open space preservation, environmental standards and planning and zoning issues.

Commercial Innovation grants assist Realtor associations by making funding available to help launch new commercial projects and services, or innovative enhancements to existing programs locally.

The Land Use Initiative program offers a review of legislative and regulatory proposals that could negatively affect property rights and real estate that often emerge rapidly, requiring prompt expert analysis. Upon request, the Land Use Initiative provides in-depth legislative analysis and talking points on proposed and introduced land-use legislation and regulations that impact the transfer of real property.

If you have an idea or program that would benefit the Santa Fe community, don’t hesitate to convey your thoughts to SFAR for consideration.