Diversity in Leadership: The Committee will work with staff as the diversity of leadership campaign is implemented during 2007. A toolkit with materials for local board use will be distributed at the leadership summit an din New Orleans a the Annual Conference and Expo. This campaign will promote the value of diversity in leadership both for the association and for minority members, develop tools and resources for state and local associations to use in increasing diversity of their leadership, and enhance existing activities which increase opportunities for minority members to be active in association activities.

Fair Housing: Beginning in mind 2005, fair housing groups have stepped up enforcement related to residential sales. A number of lawsuits alleging discrimination in sales, specifically steering based on race, are expected to be filed by the end of the year. In 2006, leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus asked NAR to help promote fair housing to the public. During 2007, the committee will review how best to raise the importance of fair housing to the members as well as promoting the benefits of fair housing to the public.

At Home with Diversity Course: In 2007, the committee will continue work on the At Home with Diversity training and certification program, marketing recent new materials in conjunction with International Operations, association executives, CRS, WCR and CRB. A Course Oversight Group will evaluate these new materials and assess their effectiveness.

Place-Based Assistance: In 2007 the committee will continue t evaluate and fund local and state associations to encourage their diversity programs, and in particular programs to increase leadership diversity. Small (less than $5000) grants are available for state and local efforts that enhance NAR's strategic diversity goals.

Home From Work^TM: This new REALTOR^® education program was launched in the fall of 2006, and will dramatically grow in 2007. The goal of Home From Work^TM, a 3-hour training session, is to train REALTORS^® to reach out to area employers to promote housing opportunities for their employees. The program provides REALTORS^® the tools necessary to contact employers, to discuss employer assisted housing with them and to work directly with employees to find housing. In 2006, the Housing Opportunity Program provided training to REALTORS^® in Silver Spring, MD; New Orleans, LA; Denver, CO; and Herndon, VA. In 2007, Housing Opportunities Program (HOP) will directly sponsor five training sessions and over twenty associations have indicated interest in sponsoring the class on their own. In addition, three regional training sessions will be held in order to train new instructors.

Gulf Coast Habitat Builds: NAR, in partnership with state associations and Habitat for Humanity International, is building 54 homes along the Gulf Coast that was severely damaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita - bringing over $4 million in new housing to the region. To date (as of December 13, 2006), 32 states have each submitted $70,000 in funding, and another 8 have pledged to do so. Twenty-seven of the 54 homes will be framed by REALTORS^®, as Home in a Box Builds, throughout the contiguous United States and then shipped to the Gulf where construction will be completed. Seventeen Home in a Box builds were completed in 2006 with the remainder scheduled for 2007.
In 2007, the focus will be on organizing teams of REALTORS^® to volunteer their time to build on REALTOR^® sponsored homes in the Gulf, as part of Habitat's "Global Village" program. REALTORS^® will travel at their own expense to the Gulf, but NAR will pay the $100 trip fee that is required by Habitat for Humanity. In 2007, NAR will hold two training sessions to teach REALTORS^® from each state to lead these trips.

State and Local Initiatives Fund: In 2007, the State and Local Initiative Fund will provide $100,000 in grants to associations to support a wide range of local housing opportunity programs. The grants will range from $1,000 to $4,000. In 2006, HOP awarded 27 state and local associations with grants. A variety of programs/projects received awards including a housing demand analysis, a housing report card, a web-based financial information database and a showcase of affordably priced homes.

Ambassador for Cities: HOP will award several REALTOR^® associations as 2007 Ambassadors for Cities designees. This program awards local associations that implement successful, ongoing affordable housing initiatives in partnership with their city and mayor. Through this program, the National Association of REALTORS^® grants $5,000 to each selected association, and a public event is held in each location where NAR Leadership presents these awards. In 2006, the following cities and mayor received this award: Beverly Hills Greater Los Angeles Association of REALTORS^®, Flint Association of REALTORS^®, Greater Baltimore Association of REALTORS^®, Iowa City Association of REALTORS^®, Pinellas Suncoast Association of REALTORS^®, San Jose Association of REALTORS^®.

New Initiatives in 2007: The HOP staff and Board will work to create three new initiatives as follows:

• Non-Profit Housing Foundation: The L Team, at its December 2006 meeting, approved a small group to look into the concept of creating a housing foundation. The Housing Opportunity Advisory Board (HOAB) fully supports this concept, and believes that a foundation will meet several of the organization's core values: it will maximize housing opportunity, promote the right to own real property, and will add to the success of profitability of our members. In addition, the foundation is a tax-deducible way for REALTORS^® to contribute back to their business - housing.
   
• Web-Based Housing Assistance Database: HOP is working to create a website that contains a summary of housing related financial assistance programs for REALTORS^® to use with homebuyers nationwide. In order to have up to date local and state programs on the site, HOP will work with local and state REALTOR^® associations on this initiative.
   
• Certificate Program: Staff will follow up on the Board's interest in creating a new NAR certificate program to train REALTORS^® to become experts in selling workforce/affordable housing.

Equal Opportunity - Cultural Diversity Forum: The Forum will provide educational sessions and networking opportunities in 2007 that will benefit REALTORS^® and fulfill the mission of serving the needs of a diverse real estate market.