Nearly 300 Civil Rights, Housing, Faith, Environmental and Industry Organizations and a Local Elected Official Urge Biden Administration to Immediately Release Fair Housing Rule

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2024
Contact: Janelle Brevard | jbrevard@nationalfairhousing.org

Nearly 300 Civil Rights, Housing, Faith, Environmental and Industry Organizations and a Local Elected Official Urge Biden Administration to Immediately Release Fair Housing Rule

Groups implore White House to follow through on its commitments to create inclusive, resource-rich communities free of discrimination with the amenities everyone needs to thrive

Washington, DC — Nearly 300 leading civil rights, housing, faith, environmental, industry organizations and a local elected official from throughout the nation wrote to President Biden, urging his administration to immediately release the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s final “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” (AFFH) rule. AFFH, a provision of the Fair Housing Act, requires HUD or any entity that receives federal funding for housing and community development to use those funds and operate their programs in a manner that redresses inequities in the housing system and create inclusive, resource-rich communities that give everyone an opportunity to thrive. The proposed final AFFH rule will ensure a society in which everyone can live in a safe neighborhood with ample affordable and accessible housing options, fresh air, clean water, good public transportation, living-wage jobs, quality healthcare, healthy foods, affordable credit, and well-resourced schools.

HUD published a proposed rule for public comment in January 2023 that took a major step toward creating more equitable and affordable housing opportunities and stronger, more viable rural, urban, and suburban neighborhoods. After receiving over 500 public comments, most of which welcomed the rule and called for it to be strengthened, the comment period closed in April of last year. Because AFFH is one of the strongest tools to address the fair and affordable housing crisis—and can boost the economy in a way that benefits all communities—the organizations called on the White House to release the final rule immediately, writing:

“For centuries, federal, state, and local governments enacted policies and funneled investments in a way that helped and supported some in our society while denying opportunities to and harming others, especially people of color, people with disabilities, and women. These unfair policies created unjust structures that still impact millions of people, resulting in the litany of housing challenges America faces today, from skyrocketing rents to increased evictions and homelessness to barriers that prevent the dream of homeownership from becoming a reality.

“Further, failure to release the rule could undermine the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals of ensuring recent federal infrastructure funding initiatives fairly reach all communities and threaten to exacerbate existing racial wealth gaps as jurisdictions and NGOs will lack the guidance needed in administering infrastructure funds in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act.

“As you reflected on the 55th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, ‘A fair housing market is critical to the fulfillment of the American dream.’ Our response is that a fair housing market cannot be realized without a strong AFFH rule. By investing in interventions that ensure that everyone can access fair, affordable, and accessible housing in thriving neighborhoods, we can create communities of opportunity. We urge the White House to immediately release the final proposed AFFH rule, so that more Americans can have their chance at the American Dream.”

###

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.