James Pushes for Fair Housing Funding Restoration

New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a charge against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for cancelling critical funding to fair housing organizations across the country, including New York.

The AG, joined by 20 other state attorneys general, is urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to reinstate congressionally-appropriated funds, which were abruptly cut in February without warning or explanation. These cuts came despite HUD’s legal obligation to provide such funding.

“The Trump administration’s funding cuts to fair housing groups will only worsen the nationwide housing crisis,” James stated. “Fair housing groups are critical in helping states stop housing providers and lenders from discriminating against vulnerable people, and we need them now more than ever.”

The Fair Housing Initiative Program (FHIP), established by Congress in 1988, provides vital funds for organizations that investigate discriminatory practices, educate the public on their rights, and enforce fair housing laws. The sudden cancellation of 78 FHIP grants to groups working across 33 states has left many programs without the resources needed to combat discrimination.

“Fair housing groups help states stop discriminatory housing practices by bringing enforcement actions against providers and lenders,” the attorneys general argue in their brief. “They uncover new forms of discrimination, including biases in housing advertisement algorithms.”

In New York, FHIP-funded organizations have been instrumental in helping disabled individuals access housing, mediating disputes with landlords, and filing claims with state agencies to investigate housing discrimination.

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