Skip to main content
Menu Icon
Close

InfoBytes Blog

Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

Senators urge HUD to withdraw new version of AFFH rule

Federal Issues HUD U.S. Senate Fair Housing Fair Lending

Federal Issues

On March 16, thirty-seven Senators led by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sent a letter to HUD in response to the agency’s proposed replacement for the 2015 version of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule (proposed rule). As previously covered by InfoBytes, in January, HUD announced that the proposed rule would provide state and local government participants with more straightforward advice “to help them improve affordable housing choices in their community.” The Senators contend, however, that the proposed rule will reverse efforts to make access to housing fair and equitable and “relies on the faulty premise that simply increasing housing supply can address the problems of housing discrimination and segregation.” Among other things, the Senators argue that the proposed rule undermines the following “three core elements of any approach to fair housing”: (i) “detailed, comprehensive analysis of fair housing issues”; (ii) “judicious enforcement”; and (iii) “the public input necessary to ensure that our communities can provide inclusive pathways of opportunity for all Americans.” The Senators request that HUD withdraw the proposed rule and re-implement the 2015 AFFH final rule.