The Appleseed Network is dedicated to reducing poverty, combating discrimination, and invigorating democracy across the United States and Mexico. We actively engage in fair housing issues and address the impact of discriminatory and segregative housing policies on various social sectors. We firmly believe in the importance of fair housing for creating inclusive communities and ensuring equal opportunities for all.
Led by New York Appleseed, Nebraska Appleseed, and Texas Appleseed, we recently submitted a public comment letter on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) proposed “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” rule, with the crucial assistance of our pro bono partners at Orrick.
Background
In January 2023, HUD introduced a new rule aimed at fostering fairness in housing for everyone. This rule is a significant component of the Fair Housing Act, which seeks to address historical housing discrimination. The proposed rule focuses on identifying and rectifying unfair housing practices, streamlining the process for analyzing housing fairness, promoting goal setting within communities, increasing transparency, and implementing regular evaluations of progress. Ultimately, the goal is to provide equal access to affordable housing and create more inclusive communities.
Appleseed’s Public Comment on the Proposed Rule
The Appleseed Network acknowledges HUD’s efforts in issuing the Proposed Rule, which represents an important step towards making fair housing accessible to all individuals. In our comment letter, we highlight three critical issues addressed by the Proposed Rule and provide insights, experiences, and recommendations from our Appleseed Centers across diverse geographic locations.
A Balanced Approach: We appreciate HUD’s recognition of the need for a balanced approach to fair housing within jurisdictions. This approach, as defined in the Proposed Rule, acknowledges the significance of both “place-based strategies” and “mobility strategies.” By pursuing these strategies in tandem, we can work towards eliminating discrimination and addressing the persistent legacy of policies and practices that perpetuate segregated communities and inequity. It is crucial that any alterations to the Proposed Rule maintain these twin aims to ensure no families or children of protected classes are left behind or denied access to vital community resources.
Accountability and Compliance Measures: We commend HUD for including accountability and compliance measures to ensure program participants genuinely and actively further fair housing access. These measures play a pivotal role in holding participants accountable for their actions and progress, leading to more equitable outcomes.
Community Engagement: The success of any Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule relies heavily on robust community engagement. The Appleseed Centers, with their diverse locations and extensive experience in addressing fair housing issues across various areas, recognize the integral role that communities play in identifying and analyzing housing challenges. We emphasize the importance of involving communities in the decision-making process and safeguarding the community engagement provisions of the Proposed Rule from future alterations.
Conclusion
The Appleseed Network is encouraged by this significant step towards increasing fair housing access and promoting equitable opportunities is encouraging. We are hopeful that the final AFFH rule will hold local, city, and state actors accountable and demand the necessary actions to affirmatively further fair housing. We appreciate the opportunity to submit our comment letter and eagerly anticipate continued engagement with HUD on these vital issues.
Let us work together towards a future where fair housing is a fundamental right, creating truly inclusive communities and ensuring equal access to affordable housing for all individuals.
Read the full comment letter below:
AFFH Comment Letter_Final_AppleseedCenters
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