A coalition of 174 fair housing, fair lending, civil rights and social justice organizations is calling on the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) not to finalize its proposed rule eliminating regulations regarding disparate impact under the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
In a letter to HUD Secretary Scott Turner, the coalition said the disparate impact regulations was one of the most impactful tools used to fight housing discrimination. The coalition argued that removing these regulations would create a new exposure to unlawful housing and lending practices, which would exacerbate the ongoing challenges in today’s affordable housing environment.
“Disparate impact under the [Fair Housing Act] is a critical aspect of the framework Congress created to eliminate all policies that unnecessarily preclude people from obtaining safe, affordable, and accessible housing of their choice,” the letter stated. “On average, over four million incidents of discrimination each year impede individuals’ and families’ ability to secure a home, mortgages, insurance, utilities, and other elements necessary for equal housing opportunity. Such discrimination, which includes facially neutral policies that have a disproportionate effect based on protected classes, undermine our shared interest in ensuring that housing opportunities are available to every individual and family regardless of their personal characteristics.”
Among the organizations signing the letter were the Center for Responsible Lending, Fair Housing Advocates Association, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, National Association of Real Estate Brokers, National Fair Housing Alliance, National Low Income Housing Coalition, and Paralyzed Veterans of America.
