HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Sworn In

Texas native Anna Maria Farías is the new Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at HUD. She will now lead the Department's work to eliminate housing discrimination, promote economic opportunity, and achieve diverse, inclusive communities.

Farías previously served in senior roles at HUD during the George W. Bush administration, including Director for HUD's Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs in the Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD). During her tenure in CPD, she led HUD's disaster recovery efforts following the devastating hurricanes in 2005, managing more than $16 billion in grants states in the Gulf Coast region. Since 2013, Farías served in several leadership roles on the Board of Regents at Texas Women's University, including Board Chair and Presiding Officer.

The mission of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) is to eliminate housing discrimination, promote economic opportunity, and achieve diverse, inclusive communities by leading the nation in the enforcement, administration, development, and public understanding of federal fair housing policies and laws. FHEO enforces the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which protects people from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and family status.