Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson announced July 23 his agency is replacing the Obama-era regulation with a new fair housing rule called “Preserving Community and Neighborhood Choice.” It is to take effect in 30 days.
“Fair housing regulations remain one of the key tools for addressing long-standing inequities and historical disadvantages and must be strengthened, not weakened,” said a July 28 joint statement from two Catholic bishops and the head of Catholic Charities USA.
“As the U.S. bishops wrote 45 years ago in ‘The Right to a Decent Home’ (pastoral message), ‘an absence of racial discrimination is no longer enough. We must insist upon effective programs to remedy past injustice,’” the statement said. “Let us renew this call to action to ensure all people have access to safe, decent and affordable housing.”
The statement was issued by Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, chairman of the USCCB’s Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism; and Dominican Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA.
“HUD’s replacement of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule undermines efforts to promote fair housing and human dignity,” the Catholic leaders said. ” Discriminatory practices such as redlining, disinvestment from communities, discriminatory practices in selling or renting homes, and racial and economic segregation have undermined fair housing for generations and continue to harm communities of color today.”
HUD’s new rule announced by Carson “minimizes the affirmative responsibility to promote fair housing by removing clear guidance and effective accountability,” they added.
“Fair housing regulations remain one of the key tools for addressing long-standing inequities and historical disadvantages and must be strengthened, not weakened,” said a July 28 joint statement from two Catholic bishops and the head of Catholic Charities USA.
“As the U.S. bishops wrote 45 years ago in ‘The Right to a Decent Home’ (pastoral message), ‘an absence of racial discrimination is no longer enough. We must insist upon effective programs to remedy past injustice,’” the statement said. “Let us renew this call to action to ensure all people have access to safe, decent and affordable housing.”
The statement was issued by Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, chairman of the USCCB’s Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism; and Dominican Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA.
“HUD’s replacement of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule undermines efforts to promote fair housing and human dignity,” the Catholic leaders said. ” Discriminatory practices such as redlining, disinvestment from communities, discriminatory practices in selling or renting homes, and racial and economic segregation have undermined fair housing for generations and continue to harm communities of color today.”
HUD’s new rule announced by Carson “minimizes the affirmative responsibility to promote fair housing by removing clear guidance and effective accountability,” they added.