Secretary Castro Highlights Progress Made Toward Fair Housing

At HUD’s recent 2015 Fair Housing Policy Conference, HUD Secretary Julian Castro highlighted some of the progress made since the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968 and the pro-active steps taken to promote greater housing choices for all. “We’ve come a long way since 1968. For example, this past June, the Supreme Court upheld the disparate impact standard, making it clear that the Fair Housing Act prohibits discriminatory policies, whether they’re intentional or not. And every day brings us closer to the goal of a housing market that welcomes and respects everyone,” stated Castro.

According to Castro, HUD and its partners have helped obtain $330 million in compensation for more than 49,000 individuals who were allegedly subjected to housing discrimination. Also, special mention was made of the new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule to provide families with the housing choice vouchers they need to move into communities of opportunity. The new rule announced in July is also designed to provide local leaders with new tools to improve their planning by helping “maximize investments in affordable housing, in bus stops and trains, in new schools and other community assets — all in ways that give every American a chance to thrive.”