Act Now - Tell Congress to Prevent Cuts to Critical HUD Programs

Recent media reports are forecasting major cuts to staff and programs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including cutting HUD staff by nearly 50 percent and staff in the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) by greater than 75 percent.

Tell Congress to prevent cuts to critical HUD programs.

As the nation continues to grapple with one of the worst fair and affordable housing crises in its history, persistent housing discrimination, and increased homelessness, advocates must act to pressure Congress to prevent cuts to critically important housing programs and staff.

Congress must act to prevent cuts that would deprive people of vital housing programs and services. If the forecasted cuts to HUD staffing and programs are enacted, millions of people in almost every congressional district will be affected by such programmatic cuts. Cuts to these critical programs will harm families whose budgets are already depleted by skyrocketing housing costs and could lead to increased homelessness.

Now is not the time to cut critical funding for fair housing enforcement programs. In 2023 – the most recent reporting year for comprehensive fair housing complaint data – 34,150 fair housing complaints were received by private fair housing organizations, FHAP agencies, HUD and DOJ, representing the highest number of complaints ever reported in a single year, 3.5 percent higher than the number of complaints reported in 2022.

HUD’s FHEO is responsible for administering the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), the Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP), and HUD’s investigation of fair housing and fair lending complaints submitted through its administrative complaint process. FHIP was created by the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 to establish and support a network of highly experienced private fair housing enforcement organizations throughout the nation to foster compliance with the Fair Housing Act and state and local fair housing laws through enforcement and education. In addition, FHAP was created under Section 817 of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act) and was developed to foster cooperation between HUD and state and local agencies that enforce state and local fair housing laws that are substantially equivalent to the Fair Housing Act. 

FHIP-funded private, nonprofit fair housing organizations processed 76 percent of complaints, a six percent increase from the previous year. FHAP-funded agencies processed 19 percent.

Families with children, people with disabilities, victims of domestic violence, veterans, senior citizens, people of faith and other vulnerable populations deserve fair and affordable housing. These programs provide vital services and funding to the communities they serve and have decades-long bipartisan support.

Act now to tell Congress to prevent cuts to critical housing programs, including staff at the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity and fair housing enforcement programs.