Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) are circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter asking HUD Secretary Ben Carson to provide more information on the agency’s recent decision to effectively suspend its Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule (AFFH).
The letter states, “The Fair Housing Act not only makes it unlawful for jurisdictions to discriminate, it also requires that they take actions to dismantle historical patterns of segregation, which continue to limit the housing choices and opportunities of protected classes, including people of color, people with disabilities, families with children and religious groups. Despite the law’s passage 50 years ago, segregation still plagues our communities, resulting in inequities in all aspects of life, including education, health and income. The AFFH rule reaffirms the strongly held American belief that your zip code should not determine your access to opportunity. Unfortunately, HUD has abruptly decided to push back implementing this rule without input from these stakeholders and has not justified the agency’s actions in any convincing manner.”
The following groups have endorsed the Dear Colleague letter: NLIHC, National Fair Housing Alliance, PolicyLink, Paralyzed Veterans of America, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, NAACP, National Urban League, UnidosUS, National CAPACD, Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Consortium for Citizens With Disabilities Housing Task Force, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National AIDS Housing Coalition, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Housing Law Center, National Coalition for the Homeless, National Consumer Law Center, Center for Responsible Lending, Collaborative Solutions, Grounded Solutions Network, National Housing Trust, Housing Assistance Council (HAC), Housing Choice Partners, National Network to End Domestic Violence, and Prosperity Now.
We urge all representatives to sign on by the January 29 noon deadline. Members should contact Danielle.Fulfs@mail.house.gov (Jayapal) or Abby.Schanfield@mail.house.gov (Ellison).
Read the Dear Colleague letter at: http://bit.ly/2mY3gyf