This month celebrates Fair Housing Month and the 55th anniversary of the 1968 Fair Housing Act. Signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson, the Fair Housing Act had two main objectives: 1) outlaw individual acts of housing discrimination and 2) foster integration. Despite this legislative effort, some estimates suggest more than 4 million instances of housing discrimination happen every year, with most going unreported. Being denied equal access to housing fuels unequal living standards, poverty, housing instability and more. This Fair Housing Month we must all recommit to promoting policy solutions that ensure everyone has access to safe and affordable housing.  

Earlier this year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule. In 2015, under the Obama administration, HUD proposed a similar AFFH rule. Unfortunately, this rule was repealed in 2020 by the Trump administration. Prosperity Now was thrilled to see a rededication to promoting equitable housing opportunities and to author a comment letter in support of the proposed rule. 

Our work on housing and homeownership aims to ensure renters and homeowners, especially low-income and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) families, have safe and stable housing and equitable opportunities to build wealth. Eliminating racial disparities in housing opportunities and homeownership are some of the most powerful ways to narrow the racial wealth divide. The racial wealth divide has not only long existed but will continue to impact the lives of people of color for centuries to come if we do not take critical actions to address this injustice.  

With this rule, HUD can continue to work towards fulfilling the original promise and intent of the Fair Housing Act. We hope this rule will quickly become realized so that communities across the country can benefit from housing equity. We share HUD’s commitment to ensuring renters and homeowners, especially low-income and BIPOC families, have safe and stable housing and equitable opportunities to build wealth. Housing is a critical pathway to financial stability and the opportunity to create generational wealth for underserved communities, especially communities of color. To join our movement to further fair housing and enact housing justice, join our Affordable Housing Network.