ACLU Files Public Comment Opposing HUD’s Proposed Rule Impacting Fair Housing

WASHINGTON — The ACLU filed a public comment today in opposition to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) recently proposed Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule.

Under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), HUD is mandated to actively combat and undo decades of policies that have contributed to residential segregation and housing discrimination. However, the new proposed AFFH rule would significantly weaken HUD’s obligation to address housing discrimination and advance fair housing opportunities to vulnerable and marginalized communities.

Sandra Park, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project, had the following comment:

“The proposed rule is the Trump administration’s latest attempt to dramatically weaken HUD’s commitment to ending residential segregation and barriers to fair housing for marginalized communities.

“The Fair Housing Act and its current AFFH rule were adopted to dismantle systemic residential segregation and housing discrimination and actively promote access to housing opportunities. The proposed rule, on the other hand, would severely undermine fair housing advancements that address the deeply-entrenched legacy of segregation and housing inequality throughout the country. Equal access to housing opportunities, free from discrimination, is a civil right. If implemented, the new rule would roll back HUD’s obligation to tackle fair housing issues, making communities of color, people with disabilities, survivors of domestic violence, and other marginalized communities even more vulnerable to housing insecurity and abuse. We oppose this blatant disregard for the right to fair housing and urge HUD to withdraw the proposed rule.”

The ACLU’s comments are available here: https://www.aclu.org/letter/aclu-comment-huds-proposed-rule-affirmatively-limiting-furthering-fair-housing?redirect=letter/aclu-comment-huds-proposed-rule-affirmatively-furthering-fair-housing