Nareit and The National Association of REALTORS are working to increase diversity and racial equity in the commercial real estate industry with more intentional outreach to communities of color. John Jones, Nareit vice president of government relations, was featured as a part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference panel “Diversity in Commercial Real Estate—Barriers and Opportunities” along with Moses Hall, owner and managing broker of MoHall Commercial and Urban Development, and Quincy Enoch, of Invariant.
Jones discussed the innovative solutions to the opportunity and equity barriers and challenges that continue to confront the real estate industry today. Jones also highlighted Nareit’s support for H.R. 5084, the Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act of 2019, a bill that would require public companies to annually disclose the voluntarily, self-identified gender, race, ethnicity, and veteran status of their board of directors, nominees, and senior executive officers. This bill was introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions, and cosponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
Additionally, the Nareit Foundation is a supporter of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), which conducts research on issues affecting African Americans, publishes a yearly report on key legislation, and sponsors issue forums, leadership seminars and scholarships.
A replay of the webinar can be found online.