NFHA Denounces Trump Administration’s Firing of Hundreds of HUD Employees During Government Shutdown 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NFHA Denounces Trump Administration’s Firing of Hundreds of HUD Employees During Government Shutdown 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued reduction-in-force (RIF) notices to more than 400 employees on Friday, according to press reports and court documents. These firings include more than 100 employees from HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, the hardworking civil servants who investigate acts of housing discrimination nationwide. The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) forcefully condemns these unlawful actions taken in the middle of a government shutdown.  

 “This Administration is completely destroying the federal government’s capacity to address housing discrimination,” said NFHA President and CEO Lisa Rice. “In his confirmation hearing, HUD Secretary Scott Turner promised to uphold the Fair Housing Act, but every action taken under his leadership says otherwise.”  

Earlier this year, the Trump Administration reduced HUD’s Fair Housing enforcement staff by half. Meanwhile, complaints of housing discrimination are at record highs, according to the 2024 Fair Housing Trends report produced by NFHA. The RIFs represent a dangerous continuation of the administration’s systemic dismantling of Fair Housing in America. 

Trump Administration’s Impact on Fair Housing to Date: 

• With the termination of more than 100 fair housing employees in addition to cuts previously made, the Trump Administration is severely decreasing HUD’s capacity to ensure everyday Americans remain safely housed and are not unfairly denied housing—the very rights that the Fair Housing Act guarantees.  

• HUD will no longer investigate and resolve important fair housing complaints. These complaints include alleged acts of redlining, which deprive entire communities of credit because of their race or ethnicity, according to a recent department announcement.  

• HUD will no longer investigate complaints of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.  

• HUD will no longer use “disparate impact”—a common sense legal tool sanctioned by the U.S. Supreme Court that prevents unnecessary discriminatory outcomes.  

• The Administration attempted to block congressionally appropriated funds for community-based Fair Housing organizations. These organizations handle thousands of discrimination complaints on behalf of disabled veterans, seniors, survivors of domestic violence, people of color, families with children, and more. 
  

“We will continue to hold the Administration accountable for providing the protections the Fair Housing Act guarantees, and that the nation desperately needs during the current fair and affordable housing crisis. We also urge Congress to conduct oversight over these unlawful actions,” said Rice. 

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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.