WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Elected Officials, Advocates, and Media Leaders Celebrate HUD's Release of the New Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Policy

Over the past week, an array of elected officials, Biden-Harris administration leaders, advocates for equity and justice, and media organizations celebrated the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) release of its new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, which aims to remedy the effects of discrimination in housing, fostering opportunity in communities across the country where every resident can thrive.

In a list that includes the NAACP, CNN, the President of the United States, and seven Members of Congress, more than 45 individuals and organizations from across the country came together to praise the new policy in Tweets, articles, and statements. Some called it "bold," while others dubbed it a historic move "to advance racial and social equity." The overwhelming positive sentiment from stakeholders external to HUD exemplifies both the impact the policy will have and the enormous work it took to implement this rule.

Government Officials

• President Joe Biden (www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/19/statement-from-president-joseph-r-biden-on-the-department-of-housing-and-urban-developments-new-proposed-rule-on-affirmatively-furthering-fair-housing/)
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) (https://twitter.com/SenWarren/status/1616174841043763205?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) (www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/sherrod-brown-applauds-hud-proposal-important-fair-housing-rule)
• Susan Rice, White House Domestic Policy Advisor (https://twitter.com/AmbRice46/status/1616211931282432000?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03) (https://twitter.com/RepBeatty/status/1616150121804070915?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY-07) (https://twitter.com/NydiaVelazquez/status/1616157545290399744?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL-04) (https://twitter.com/RepChuyGarcia/status/1616137078844129283?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA-03) (https://twitter.com/RepDwightEvans/status/1616196867775397888?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-05) (https://twitter.com/repcleaver/status/1616522565337640960?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• Senate Banking and Housing Democrats (https://twitter.com/SenateBanking/status/1616472829951881217?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro (www.naacpldf.org/fair-housing-inclusive-communities/)
• Lt. Gov Sabina Matos (D-RI) (https://twitter.com/Sabina_Matos/status/1616971515995504641?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans, LA (https://twitter.com/mayorcantrell/status/1617962255295086592?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)

Advocacy Organizations

• NAACP (https://twitter.com/NAACP/status/1616498221463011328)
• Legal Defense Fund (https://twitter.com/NAACP_LDF/status/1618405631609774080?s=20&t=oXO75h5amhafZoqjN3Y18A)
• National Fair Housing Alliance (https://nationalfairhousing.org/national-fair-housing-alliance-applauds-the-biden-administration-for-advancing-housing-equity/)
• Alliance for Housing Justice (https://twitter.com/aforhj/status/1616528455172247554?s=20&t=oXO75h5amhafZoqjN3Y18A)
• CLASP (https://twitter.com/CLASP_DC/status/1617876139128782854?s=20&t=oXO75h5amhafZoqjN3Y18A)
• The Fair Housing Center (https://twitter.com/housingcenter/status/1616469291272122369?s=20&t=oXO75h5amhafZoqjN3Y18A)
• National Community Reinvestment Coalition (https://ncrc.org/ncrc-statement-on-affirmatively-furthering-fair-housing-affh-rule/)
• National Low Income Housing Coalition (https://www.nlihc.org/news/nlihc-statement-proposed-affirmatively-furthering-fair-housing-rule)
• Policy Link (www.policylink.org/our-work/community/housing/affh)
• National Alliance to End Homelessness (https://twitter.com/naehomelessness/status/1617252263122145280?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (https://twitter.com/LawyersComm/status/1616443732764626944?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• The Housing Action Coalition (https://twitter.com/HACdotorg/status/1616147217739558913?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• Funders for Housing and Opportunity (https://twitter.com/HsgOpportunity/status/1617539772528099331?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)
• The NewDEAL (https://twitter.com/NewDEALLeaders/status/1618715462371508224?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ)

News Articles

• Bloomberg (www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-19/biden-revives-rule-to-combat-housing-discrimination)
• Politico (www.politico.com/news/2023/01/19/hud-revamps-obama-era-discrimination-rule-in-rebuke-to-trump-00078539)
• CNN (www.cnn.com/2023/01/19/opinions/fair-housing-combat-discrimination-fudge/index) (Secretary's Op-Ed)
• Vox (www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23562541/biden-fair-housing-affh-affirmatively-furthering-discrimination-segregation)
• The Hill (https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3821559-hud-files-proposed-rule-aimed-at-reducing-housing-segregation/)
• Affordable Housing Finance (www.housingfinance.com/policy-legislation/hud-announces-new-affirmatively-furthering-fair-housing-rule_o)
• National Mortgage News (www.nationalmortgagenews.com/news/hud-proposes-revamp-of-fair-housing-rule)
• Smart Cities Dive (https://t.co/Adq4YTw1I4)
• The M Report (https://themreport.com/news/government/01-20-2023/hud-looks-to)
• Next City (https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/housing-in-brief-biden-unveils-new-measures-to-protect-tenants-and-desegreg)
• Route Fifty (www.route-fifty.com/infrastructure/2023/01/biden-administrations-plan-strengthen-fair-housing-enforcement/382203/)
• Newsbreak (Concord, CA) (https://original.newsbreak.com/@vince-martellacci-1599548/2902671137805-new-hud-rule-could-soon-make-housing-more-fair-and-accessible-in-the-east-bay)

Media & External Leaders

• Kriston Capps (https://twitter.com/kristoncapps/status/1616087734963306497), Staff Writer at Bloomberg
• Rachel Cohen (https://twitter.com/rmc031/status/1618331373370232832?s=20&t=oXO75h5amhafZoqjN3Y18A), Senior Policy Reporter at Vox
• Janai Nelson (https://twitter.com/JNelsonLDF/status/1616255451355545602?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ), President of the Legal Defense Fund
• Diane Yentel (https://twitter.com/dianeyentel/status/1616099271224197125?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ), President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition
• Robin Wiessmann (https://twitter.com/PHFAWiessmann/status/1617589732610801667?s=20&t=F5RdHEajXIIEJPTZG9MGEQ), Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency

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