NFHA President and CEO Releases Statement Following President Trump’s AFFH Tweet
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2020
Contact: Izzy Woodruff | 202-898-1661 | IWoodruff@nationalfairhousing.org
NFHA President and CEO Releases Statement Following President Trump’s AFFH Tweet
Washington, D.C. — Below is a statement from NFHA President and CEO, Lisa Rice, regarding President Donald Trump’s recent tweet about the Fair Housing Act’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) provision.
“Trump’s tweet about rolling back the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) provision of the Fair Housing Act is appalling. AFFH is a critical fair housing protection that has been on the books for more than 50 years and was passed to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. seven days after his death. This important provision was designed to counteract the harmful impacts of forced residential segregation, structural racism, and systemic barriers to fair housing. Because of residential segregation and structural inequality, where you live impacts everything about you – your chances of graduating from high school or attending college, your chances of being arrested, your net worth, your credit score, your income, your chances of becoming a homeowner, and even how long you will live. Because of persistent residential segregation and structural inequality, your zip code is a better determinant of your health than your genetic code. In his tweet, Trump suggests that banning housing discrimination has a devastating impact on suburban areas. He is flatly wrong. Studies have shown that diverse neighborhoods greatly benefit both People of Color and Whites. As the nation demands an end to systemic racism, this is the last moment we should be gutting longstanding tools to do precisely that.”
###
About The National Fair Housing Alliance
Founded in 1988, NFHA is a consortium of more than 200 nonprofit fair housing organizations, state and local civil rights agencies, and individuals from throughout the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NFHA works to eliminate housing discrimination and ensure equal housing opportunity for all people through leadership, education, outreach, membership services, public policy initiatives, community development, advocacy, and enforcement.