“HUD Quietly Kills Major Civil Rights Cases: What You Need to Know”
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently found evidence of discrimination in two high-profile cases, only to quietly take steps that will likely kill both cases under the Trump administration. The first case involved a Texas state agency steering $1 billion in disaster mitigation money away from Houston and nearby communities of color after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The second case centered around a homeowners association outside of Dallas creating rules to kick poor Black people out of their neighborhood.
HUD’s decision to rescind the referrals for federal lawsuits in both cases is unprecedented, leaving the investigations in limbo with no likely path for government action. This move has raised concerns about a rollback of civil rights enforcement under President Trump and HUD Secretary Scott Turner, particularly as HUD canceled 78 grants to local fair housing groups and projected significant staff cuts in the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.
In the Houston case, HUD found that the Texas agency had discriminated against urban Black and Hispanic communities by allocating mitigation funds to more rural, white areas after Hurricane Harvey. Despite an outcry, the allocation fell short of the needs of the affected communities, with Houston receiving no direct aid.
The Providence Village case involved a homeowners association adopting rules that prohibited property owners from renting to holders of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, predominantly affecting Black families. The HOA’s actions led to racist vitriol and protests by a white nationalist group, prompting HUD to accuse the HOA and others of violating the Fair Housing Act.
While HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett stated that the agency is upholding the Fair Housing Act and Civil Rights Act, critics argue that the rescinded referrals signal a lack of commitment to combating housing discrimination. The complainants in these cases may pursue their own lawsuits, but the government’s reversal on these issues has left many disillusioned and concerned about the future of civil rights enforcement in housing.
The implications of HUD’s actions go beyond these specific cases, as they reflect a broader trend of weakening civil rights enforcement within the agency and the Justice Department. The potential consequences of these decisions could have far-reaching impacts on vulnerable communities and the fight against housing discrimination.