The US Department of Housing and Urban Development today released its rule on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH), taking definitive actions that will address "disparities in housing needs and in access to opportunity, replacing segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns, transforming racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity, and fostering and maintaining compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws."
CRL executive vice president Nikitra Bailey commented:
Today the Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a common sense regulation, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing under the Fair Housing Act, underscoring a fundamental principle: where you live matters.
Our research shows that when people live in communities of opportunity they are more likely to prosper. Conversely, when families live in communities without adequate resources, they often end up paying more for mortgages and basic financial services. The tax on these families cripples their ability to save and build wealth, draining billions of dollars that could be used to help families climb the economic ladder. (View the State of Lending in America research)
More often than not, communities lacking these fundamental equalities find themselves experiencing tragic consequences. Recent events in Ferguson, New York, and Baltimore, for example, underscore the need for policies that take into account the long legacy of segregation and unequal treatment in this country, and mitigate against such unfortunate circumstances in the future.
Today's rule will help address a legacy of racial segregation tied to housing patterns that continue to contribute to growing economic inequality. Coupled with the historic Supreme Court decision on disparate impact from just weeks ago, this is a hopeful sign for equality and justice in a housing sector that includes people of color, families with children, seniors and people with disabilities.
We look forward to working with HUD on the AFFH's implementation.
For more information, contact millree.williams@responsiblelending.org or 202-349-1884.