Congressional Sign-On Letter Circulating to Urge HUD to Finalize the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule - April 3, 2014

Congressional Sign-On Letter Circulating to Urge HUD to Finalize the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule

Noting that this is Fair Housing Month, the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and other national organizations are asking interested persons to ask their Representatives in the U.S. House to sign on to a letter urging HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan to “move forward expeditiously” in issuing a final AFFH rule. (Comments on the draft rule closed in September 2013).

Six Members of Congress, lead by Rep Keith Ellison (D-MN), have initiated a “dear colleague” letter asking House members to sign on to the letter to Secretary Donovan. The other five are: Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rep. Al Green (D-TX), Rep. Rúben Hinojosa (D-TX), Rep. Gwen Moore (D- WI), and Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL).   

The letter to HUD urges the Secretary to move swiftly to enact a final rule and to ensure that HUD has tools in place to support successful implementation.  It supports the proposed rule and also points out several ways a final rule could improve upon the proposed rule (e.g., establish benchmarks to measure a jurisdiction’s progress; clarify consequences for a jurisdiction’s failure to fulfill the obligation to further fair housing; and strengthen the process by which the public can raise concerns).  The deadline to sign is April 25, 2014. Members can contact Carol Wayman with Rep. Ellison at carol.wayman@mail.house.gov, or Gregg Orton with Rep. Green at Gregg.orton@mail.house,gov. 

NLIHC, the National Fair Housing Alliance, and the Poverty & Race Research Action Council, are participating in visits to House Members organized by PolicyLink.  (NLIHC also reports that Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is reportedly drafting a letter intended for the Senate and will advise when it becomes available).