Biden Admin striving for racial equity in towns, suburbs.
Expanding Racial Equity: Biden Administration’s Actions Reach Suburbs and Towns
The Biden administration is taking steps to promote racial equity in America’s suburbs and towns. The Department of Housing and Development (HUD) is implementing a new program that requires any town, city, or county accepting federal housing grants to actively address segregation, promote fair housing choice, eliminate disparities, and foster inclusive communities.
The program, called Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH), is a reinstatement of HUD’s 2015 AFFH Rule, originally introduced by the Obama administration but repealed in 2020 by the Trump administration. Critics of the policy argued that it imposed burdens on localities and represented federal overreach into local housing policy.
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Under the Biden policy, communities must demonstrate their commitment to fair housing in order to qualify for community development block grant funds. HUD will review their plans and assess whether they meet the necessary criteria. This includes considerations such as building low-income housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods, proximity to quality schools, libraries, and supermarkets, and ensuring public facilities are accessible to those with low incomes.
HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge emphasized the importance of addressing ongoing segregation, disinvestment from communities of color, and discrimination in housing markets. However, critics argue that this measure goes beyond the original intent of the law and further centralizes authority in the federal government, diminishing the voices of local communities.
The issue of community diversity gained attention in 2007 when the Anti-Discrimination Center of Metro New York filed a lawsuit against Westchester County for its alleged failure to provide affordable housing and reduce segregation. The lawsuit did not charge Westchester with violating the Fair Housing Act but accused it of misrepresenting itself in receiving community development grants from HUD. The resulting settlement required Westchester County to build 800 new units of low-income housing, setting a precedent for the enforcement of the AFFH.
Many advocates for racial equity in housing criticize local zoning laws that prioritize single-family homes and impose minimum lot sizes. In 2022, California banned single-family zoning throughout the state, allowing the construction of up to four units on previously restricted lots.
Approximately 1,200 communities will be affected by HUD’s AFFH policy. However, it is unlikely that many of America’s wealthiest communities will be significantly impacted.
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