Beatty and Brown Lead Letter to HUD Opposing Rollback of Fair Housing Anti-Discrimination Enforcement

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) and Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) submitted an official public comment letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner in strong opposition to HUD’s proposed rule to eliminate the “disparate impact” standard under the Fair Housing Act, arguing that this change would “significantly weaken the federal government’s role in preventing and remedying housing discrimination.”

The comment was co-signed by Ohio Delegation colleagues Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) and Congressman Greg Landsman (OH-01).

Established by the Obama Administration in 2013, the disparate impact standard allows HUD to investigate and enforce against housing and lending policies that have discriminatory effects in practice.

The members write: “Ohio communities—like many communities across the country—continue to face significant housing challenges, including rising housing costs and documented disparities in mortgage access and valuation outcomes that can undermine fair access to homeownership and wealth-building. At a moment when housing affordability and availability are worsening nationwide, weakening fair housing enforcement would exacerbate—rather than address—these disparities.”

The full text of the public comment letter is HERE. 

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