7/29/2025 in Press Releases

NFHA Applauds Strong Bipartisan Support for Critical Fair Housing Programs in the Senate Appropriations Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NFHA Applauds Strong Bipartisan Support for Critical Fair Housing Programs in the Senate Appropriations Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Fair Housing Alliance® (NFHA ™) applauds the Senate Appropriations Committee decision to include critical funding for community-based fair housing organizations on the frontlines assisting disabled veterans, seniors, families with children, survivors of domestic violence, people of color,and more; agencies administering state and local fair housing laws that are equivalent to the federal Fair Housing Act; and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in their FY26 spending bill.

The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026, received continued bipartisan approval by the Senate Appropriations Committee to restore crucial fair housing funding during the nation’s fair and affordable housing crisis. This much-needed funding takes into account the fact that in 2023, Fair Housing Initiative Program (FHIP)-funded organizations processed over 75 percent of all housing discrimination complaints filed. The nation is facing a record number of housing discrimination complaints.

“The Senate Appropriations Committee’s strong bipartisan vote to preserve critical fair housing funding will ensure that our nation’s fair housing programs will receive much-needed funding in the FY26 budget,” said NFHA’s Executive Vice President Nikitra Bailey. “Local fair housing organizations serve as a lifeline for the community, helping people fight sexual harassment, appraisal bias, lending redlining, racial steering, excessively restrictive zoning ordinances, unfair evictions, and other forms of discrimination. They also educate the public about fair housing laws, help local communities expand fair and affordable housing opportunities, and promote efforts that increase economic opportunities in under-resourced areas. Their work is an essential part of the solution to address the nation’s fair and affordable housing crisis”

Created during the Reagan Administration and consistently funded with strong bipartisan support in Congress, HUD’s FHIP funding has helped thousands of families to access housing free from discrimination, extended fair housing opportunities to millions of people, and prepared local housing providers to better understand their responsibilities under the law. It is a competitive grant program that, through nonprofit fair housing organizations, provides localized assistance to people who face housing and lending discrimination. FHIP funding is the only federal resource for local, nonprofit, private enforcement and fair housing services.

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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 200 fair housing and justice-centered organizations throughout the U.S. and its territories, NFHA works to dismantle longstanding barriers to equity and build diverse, inclusive, well-resourced communities.