FAIR HOUSING ALLIANCE SAYS AGENCY IS UNLAWFULLY REFUSING TO ENFORCE FAIR HOUSING
The Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC) has joined with more than 80 member organizations of the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) in releasing a statement denouncing the abdication of fair housing obligations by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The statement comes in response to details of a whistleblower complaint filed by five HUD employees as recently reported in the New York Times. According to the article, internal emails and other documents obtained by the Times reveal that HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity has explicitly impaired its own fair housing responsibilities by limiting enforcement of the Fair Housing Act.
The statement notes that during his Senate confirmation hearing, HUD Secretary Scott Turner promised to “commit to upholding the fair housing laws.” But since Turner took over control of the agency, HUD has refused to act on complaints of discrimination, rolled back key fair housing protections, decimated the ranks of staff devoted to fair housing investigation and enforcement, and tried to eliminate funding for organizations dedicated to assisting victims of housing discrimination.
The statement concludes with an appeal to Congress and to the HUD Inspector General to vigorously investigate the whistleblower’s complaint and to provide necessary oversight to ensure Congress’s intentions are fulfilled and the nation’s fair housing laws are fully enforced.
“We stand firmly with the other members of NFHA in denouncing these rollbacks, which amount to a deliberate surrender of HUD’s duty to protect vulnerable renters and buyers,” stated FHJC Interim Executive Director Michele Cortese. “In the many communities that rely heavily on HUD-funded programs for fair housing enforcement, the doors to justice are effectively being closed.”
Click HERE to read the full statement.
The mission of FHJC, a nonprofit civil rights organization, is to eliminate housing discrimination; promote policies and programs that foster open, accessible, and inclusive communities; and strengthen enforcement of fair housing laws in the New York City region.