Today, in response to the Trump Administration’s decision to delay the implementation of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, made the following statement:

“The Trump Administration’s move to delay the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule is a flagrant attack on efforts to ensure fair housing opportunities for all people, including minorities, women, families with children, and persons with disabilities.

The Fair Housing Act requires that federal agencies and recipients of federal housing funds take proactive steps to affirmatively further fair housing, in order to help remedy years of government-supported segregation and inequality.

The Obama Administration implemented a strong Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule that provides communities with greater clarity on how to help break down barriers to fair housing opportunity by providing local authorities with better data to analyze their housing needs. In particular, the rule supports investment in high poverty areas and in opportunities for mobility, which I, along with other advocates, recommended clarity on during the comment period. The rule must not be delayed or weakened. 

This is just one in a series of important housing regulations that Secretary Carson and the Trump Administration are working to roll back. For example, they have also attempted to delay the Small Area Fair Market Rent rule, which is designed to reduce segregation and give Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher recipients more choices about where to live.

Let’s not forget that Donald Trump and his father once ran afoul of the Fair Housing Act, and were charged with discriminating against African American and Puerto Rican renters. It comes as no surprise that Trump and his HUD Secretary have disgracefully declared war on fair housing and efforts to prevent discrimination."

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