In response to a new draft Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule issued Thursday by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), National Community Reinvestment Coalition President and CEO Jesse Van Tol issued the following statement:
“Today’s announcement is a reminder that our government can and must work hard to create a fair, honest and inclusive society. After years where cynical opponents of these values took every opportunity to chip away at basic safeguards all across the economy – including the critical area of fair housing law – I’m glad to see HUD issue this draft rule. I look forward to working with HUD, our civil rights partners and other vital community organizations to improve and finalize the proposed rule.
“The Fair Housing Act does more than prohibit and restrict discriminatory practices. It requires HUD and its funding recipients to be proactive in advancing fair housing and remedying segregation. The 2015 AFFH regulation was an important and meaningful step toward requiring recipients to take this obligation seriously – but was rescinded by Trump administration opponents of civil rights very shortly after it went into effect.
“Housing segregation and discrimination are not resolved issues from the 20th century. They continue, in 2023, to severely limit opportunity and undermine economic justice throughout this country. Strong, consistent and meaningfully enforced AFFH measures are an important avenue toward repairing these harms. HUD has taken a much-needed step toward effective AFFH oversight – and now it’s time for NCRC and our fellow civil rights advocates to provide our input on the draft rulemaking and help the agency ensure that its final AFFH rule is a strong and vigorous tool for concrete change.”
