Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s proposal to replace the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule issued under President Obama with a much weaker rule.

“This proposed Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule is yet another attack on fair housing protections that will be detrimental to 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. However, this reckless Administration has decided against meaningfully enforcing the law by issuing a rule that would focus on encouraging deregulation of local housing markets rather than focusing on reducing barriers to fair and equal housing opportunity.

“President Trump and Secretary Carson have made it clear through a series of actions that their priority is to roll back the clock on civil rights by declaring war on fair housing and efforts to foster more inclusive communities.”

HUD’s proposed AFFH rule is part of a series of efforts by the Trump Administration to dismantle key civil rights protections in this country, including a proposal to weaken the disparate impact standard and HUD’s cruel proposal to terminate housing benefits for families with mixed-immigration status.

In the 116th Congress, the House Financial Services Committee has passed legislation to reverse the harmful actions of the Trump Administration, including the Keeping Families Together Act of 2019 (H.R. 2763), introduced by Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-TX); the Ensuring Equal Access to Shelter Act of 2019 (H.R. 3018), introduced by Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA); and the Homeownership for DREAMers Act (H.R. 3154), introduced by Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA).

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