On January 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register that aims to bolster the mechanisms that allow the agency to enforce the Fair Housing Act’s longstanding requirement to “affirmatively further fair housing” (AFFH) and hold grantees accountable —namely state and local governments and public housing authorities receiving HUD funding.
The proposed rule provides a framework for grantees to identify fair housing issues in the communities they serve and incorporate goals and strategies into an equity plan to remedy those issues in concrete ways. The rule requires that these plans be developed following robust community engagement and could result in changes in fair housing policies locally. Grantees would be required to submit their Equity Plan to HUD every 5 years for review and approval, and to conduct and submit annual progress evaluations to HUD. Read more about the details in HUD’s press release.
The National Apartment Association (NAA) and its members remain committed to equal opportunity in housing and will continue working with agency officials and the White House to ensure that they understand how changes to federal fair housing policies affect the provision and operation of rental housing. As we have done previously, NAA plans to file comments on the proposed AFFH rule and focus federal policymakers’ attention on responsible and sustainable solutions to addressing the nation’s housing affordability challenges.