Democratic Senators Urge HUD Secretary to Restore LGBTQ Nondiscrimination Resources

In response to HUD’s recent decision to remove resources for members of the LGBTQ community from its website, a group of 29 Senate Democrats sent a letter to HUD’s Secretary Ben Carson urging him to protect members of the LGBTQ community from housing discrimination.

The letter notes the removal of six tools designed to help housing providers comply with nondiscrimination rules protecting members of the LGBTQ community. These include a proposed policy that would require HUD-funded emergency shelters to hang a poster alerting residents of their right to be free from anti-LGBTQ discrimination and a guide instructing HUD grantees on how to ensure equal access for transgender people. The senators ask Dr. Carson to review these actions and to restore resources that guide housing providers on how to fulfill their nondiscrimination requirements.

“These changes are concerning given the unique housing challenges facing LGBTQ people across the America,” the letter states. “For example, LGBTQ youth represent 40 percent of all youth experiencing homelessness, meaning that efforts to undermine LGBTQ protections have a disproportionate impact on some of the most vulnerable young people in the country. Among adults, nearly 1 in 3 transgender people report having experienced homelessness at some point in their lives, yet a study found only 30% of shelters were willing to properly accommodate transgender women.”