For those who have seen the Earth from space, and for the hundreds and perhaps thousands more who will, the experience most certainly changes your perspective. The things that we share in our world are far more valuable than those which divide us.

—Donald Williams

Make the Move to A Richer Life

Do you want to experience a richer life by living in a diverse community? Here are some things to think about when making the move to a richer life:

Keep an open mind about all communities. We often do not consider certain communities because of misleading stereotypes or inaccuracies portrayed in the media or told to us by real estate agents who are sometimes uninformed or biased.

Visit a variety of communities, their schools, their local community-based organizations, and other institutions to find the community that’s right for you.

Make it clear to your real estate professional that you want to live in a diverse community. Ask to be shown homes or apartments in a variety of neighborhoods or provide specific information to the agent about the integrated neighborhood(s) in which you would like to live.

For information about demographics and neighborhood schools, visit the following websites:

• Census Bureau’s American Fact Finder to find the most recent information about communities.
• Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics to obtain information about school districts.
• DiversityData – the project identifies metropolitan area indicators of diversity, opportunity, quality of life and health for various racial and ethnic population groups. http://diversitydata.sph.harvard.edu/index.jsp

If your real estate or rental relocation agent will not provide you with information about or listings in diverse communities, change agents.

You may also file a fair housing complaint and/or report other types of violations of fair housing laws to:

• Your local fair housing organization. Click Here for a list of local organizations.
• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Click here to file a HUD complaint.
• The National Fair Housing Alliance at (202) 898-1661 or send an email to us.

Once you’ve made the move, get involved in your community. Introduce yourself to your neighbors, visit various houses of worship and religious congregations to find the one that’s right for you, host a potluck and try new foods, get involved in local organizations and schools, deliver meals to the homebound, attend local art shows and performances—create a richer life.