Leading Civil Rights, Faith, and Housing Policy Groups Urge HUD to Swiftly Adopt Final AFFH Rule

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2023
Contact: Izzy Woodruff | iwoodruff@nationalfairhousing.org  

Leading Civil Rights, Faith, and Housing Policy Groups Urge HUD to Swiftly Adopt Final AFFH Rule

Washington, D.C.— Fair housing, civil rights, faith, and housing advocacy organizations issued a joint statement urging the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to move quickly in adopting a final affirmatively furthering fair housing (AFFH) regulation following the closure of the proposed rule’s comment period.

“The goal of the federal Fair Housing Act and, specifically, its mandate to affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH) was to rectify the deeply inequitable systems in our nation caused by decades of unjust policies and practices that deprived millions of people from gaining access to secure and healthy housing opportunities. However, for much of the past 55 years, we’ve lacked a robust framework for actually enforcing this important AFFH mandate. As a result, issues like unfair appraisals, biased technologies, a dual credit market, restrictive zoning policies, health and food deserts, and aspects of subsidized housing administration persist and continue to drive disproportionate outcomes in health, education, wealth, homeownership, technology, environment, climate, employment, and other areas.

“Our organizations commended HUD’s leadership for releasing its updated Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) proposed rule this year, an important step toward expanding fair housing. Now that the proposed rule’s comment period has closed, we call on HUD to move swiftly in adopting a final rule that creates more equitable, well-resourced, and inclusive communities in which all residents can thrive. In order for the final rule to accomplish this, a number of elements must be strengthened, such as:

1. Local fair housing outreach and enforcement capacity should be a fair housing goal category.
2. The requirements of the community engagement process must be clarified.
3. HUD must increase transparency in the equity planning process.

“In addition, HUD must address the full scope of the AFFH mandate.

“We look forward to working with HUD to advance an effective final AFFH rule, and we are eager to further work with the broader administration to implement the regulation in a way that truly benefits everyone in this nation.”

This statement was issued jointly by the following organizations:

• The National Fair Housing Alliance
• American Civil Liberties Union
• Justice in Aging
• National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals® (NAHREP)
• National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD)
• National Community Reinvestment Coalition
• National Housing Law Project
• National Low Income Housing Coalition
• PolicyLink
• The Arc of the United States
• UnidosUS

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The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) is the country’s only national civil rights organization dedicated solely to eliminating all forms of housing and lending discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities for all people. As the trade association for over 170 fair housing and justice-centered organizations and individuals throughout the U.S. and its territories, NFHA works to dismantle longstanding barriers to equity and build diverse, inclusive, well-resourced communities. Visit nationalfairhousing.org to learn more.