HUD has recently proposed a rule that would allow the federal and local governments to relinquish their responsibilities for addressing existing racial segregation in housing. In a recent editorial "HUD has become an obstacle to fair housing," Elaine Gross and Thomas Silverstein explain:

"Congress's decision to enshrine the duty to affirmatively further fair housing in the Fair Housing Act makes clear that it is not enough for federal agencies and grantees to only respond to acts of housing discrimination. They must proactively further fair housing by stopping discrimination in all its forms and dismantling the racial segregation in housing that is the natural result of housing discrimination based on race."

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This rule makes clear that HUD and Secretary Ben Carson believe that affirmatively furthering fair housing is not necessary. One need look no further than Newsday's recent "Long Island Divided" series, which documented real estate agents' disparate treatment of homebuyers of color, to see that it is.

You can help us take action against this proposed rule!

By law, this proposed change is open to public comment. We ask all partners to express their opposition on the Federal Register by the March 16 deadline.

Elaine Gross submitted a comment, which you can see here. Thank you for helping to oppose this major step backward!