BREAKING: HUD Announces It Will Administer and Enforce the Fair Housing Act to Prohibit Discrimination Against LGBTQ+ Persons
The National Black Justice Coalition Celebrates HUD’s Announcement, Encourages Black, LGBTQ+ People to File Housing Discrimination Claims Following Announcement
CONTACT: Anna Zuccaro | anna@unbendablemedia.com
WASHINGTON, DC— This morning, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it will administer and enforce the Fair Housing Act to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
In reaction to the announcement, David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, issued the following statement:
“The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s announcement this morning explicitly prohibiting housing discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression will help to disrupt the cycle of discrimintion based housing instability that negatively impacts the lives of too many Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) people, communities, and families,”
“Having a consistent roof over one’s head is a fundamental pillar in being able to thrive.
“We applaud the Biden, Harris administration for their immediate implementation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Bostock decision and look forward to additional actions to explicitly ensure that these important considerations are enforced and applied to all homeless shelters. Every American deserves access to the programs and support services that enable them to survive and succeed, especially during the current collision of health, economic, and social crises.
“We encourage anyone experiencing housing discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any combination of protected identities including race to file a claim today.”
In January, HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) issued a memorandum stating that HUD interprets the Fair Housing Act to bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and directs HUD offices and recipients of HUD funds to enforce the Act accordingly. The memorandum begins implementation of the policy set forth in President Biden’s Executive Order 13988 on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation (Executive Order), which directs executive branch agencies to examine further steps that could be taken to combat such discrimination.
People who believe they have experienced housing discrimination based on their LGBTQ+ identity since January 20, 2020 may file a complaint by contacting HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (TTY/Relay). Housing discrimination complaints may also be submitted online at hud.gov/fairhousing.