Act Now: Trump Administration Freezes Funding for Fair Housing Enforcement

On January 27, 2025, the new Trump Administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum to all federal departments and agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, instructing them to temporarily halt funding for federal contracts and grants to take effect at 5 pm on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.  As the nation is in the middle of a fair and affordable housing crisis, OMB’s directive places critical funding in jeopardy for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, Fair Housing Assistance Program, and other vitally necessary housing programs.  

The White House’s unprecedented decision, with less than one day’s notice, to freeze federal grant, loan, and assistance payments including funding for fair housing enforcement and education and outreach programs, is not only illegal, but it is also designed to create fear, chaos, insecurity, and dysfunction among the most vulnerable in our society. It will bring about serious economic and personal injuries that can undermine our already fragile housing market and our nation. 

Halting funding for these extremely critical programs is also in direct contradiction to President Trump’s Executive Order entitled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-based Opportunity,” which expressly states that, as President, Trump has “a solemn duty to ensure that civil rights laws are enforced for the benefit of all Americans.”  The Fair Housing Initiatives Program and Fair Housing Assistance Program both enforce the Federal Fair Housing Act. These two programs enable the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to carry out its obligation and Congressional mandate to enforce the Fair Housing Act and ensure fair housing is the national policy of the United States. The National Fair Housing Alliance 2024 Fair Housing Trends Report shows that housing discrimination complaints reached an all-time high, with discrimination based on disability accounting for the majority of the complaints filed.  The report also highlighted that private fair housing groups investigate the majority of the complaints filed by consumers – over 75 percent of complaints are handled by local fair housing enforcement agencies working in communities throughout the nation. These organizations are funded by the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, which Congress established, to help ensure the law would be enforced. 

Halting funding of these grants also means that direct assistance cannot be provided to people who are facing potential discrimination. 

Housing is fundamental to the American Dream. It is imperative to recognize fair housing is not merely an ideal but a national policy of the United States, established by Congress. A housing market in which all people cannot participate fairly, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, familial status, or disability, is a broken market both economically and morally. People in our nation are seeking an end to the barrage of rising housing costs and lack of housing supply, they need increased support and intervention from our federal government, not a withdrawal from basic civil rights under the guise of false assertions about the critical goal of being a nation that fosters diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.  Protection of fair and affordable housing is essential, not optional. It is also the law. Our nation’s fair housing laws ensure families with children, people with disabilities, people of faith, and all persons—no matter their race, color, or national origin—are not discriminated against when they seek housing or lending opportunities. The reality is the implementation of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs are an important way organizations and governments can help fulfill the purpose and goal of our nation’s anti-discrimination laws.  

Though a federal judge has temporarily paused the funding freeze through Monday, February 3, 2025, action is still needed! 

Contact Congress and Urge them to Act: 

• Contact your senators and urge them to place a pause on processing all presidential nominations so Congress and the White House can be laser focused on an immediate and complete withdrawal of the federal funding freeze and the accompanying Executive Orders that attempt to end the government’s efforts to foster diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility for the people of our nation. 

• Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to urge the Trump administration to continue to process and issue payments to non-profit fair housing organizations who have current signed grant agreements and who are providing critical services to people facing discrimination, to keep senior citizens, people with disabilities as well as families and children safely and securely housed, and assist people who are facing dire situations, like those facing domestic abuse or sexual or racial harassment.