The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is charging a homeowners association with violating the Fair Housing Act by allegedly creating rules designed to prevent Black residents from using housing choice vouchers within the master planned community of the Town of Providence Village, Texas.
HUD also alleged that the respondents filed retaliatory legal action designed to intimidate residents’ safety and failed to act when heightened racial tensions left complainants fearing for their safety.
According to HUD, members of Providence Village’s unofficial social media groups began complaining about the growing number of Black people moving into the town while blaming the newcomers for a perceived decrease in property value and increase in crime. Two of the respondents charged by HUD belonged to the social media group, which included posts that presumed the Black residents were “on Section 8.” HUD claims these posts resulted in the Providence Homeowners Association’s enactment of rules preventing homeowners from renting to housing voucher holders, 93% of whom are Black.
HUD’s Charge of Discrimination followed complaints filed by two housing authorities, 11 Providence Village landlords, four residents who opposed the rules, and 40 voucher holders whose families include more than 75 minor children. The Charge alleged that Providence Homeowners Association twice enacted these rules to reduce the number of Black families in the town, despite increased racial tensions and concerns about the rules’ racist inferences.
A US Administrative Law Judge will hear HUD’s Charge unless any party to the Charge seeks to move the case to a federal district court.
“The Fair Housing Act bars homeowners associations, just like landlords, from denying housing opportunities based on race,” said Benjamin B. Klubes, HUD’s acting general counsel. “HUD will not tolerate homeowners associations instituting discriminatory policies.”
Photograph courtesy of Town of Providence Village.
