The secretary of the federal Housing and Urban Development announced a new set of proposed regulations last week that seeks to eliminate LGBT discrimination in the agency’s work.
The rule, announced Oct. 21 by Secretary Shaun Donovan, would clarify that the term “family” used in eligibility criteria for several HUD programs for subsidized housing is inclusive of LGBT individuals and couples; require that all housing agencies that receive HUD funding comply with their local and state antidiscrimination laws; and mandate that any mortgage loans secured through the Federal Housing Authority be provided on the basis of credit, with one’s sexual orientation or gender identity having no relevance.
“The evidence is clear that some are denied the opportunity to make housing choices in our nation based on who they are and that must end,” Donovan said in a statement last week. “President Obama and I are determined that a qualified individual or family will not be denied housing choices based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Additionally, HUD announced it will commission its first-ever national study of the prevalence of LGBT discrimination in housing.
Brian Sullivan, HUD spokesperson, said the new rule has not been formally proposed yet, but has undergone an internal approval process by the Office of Personnel Management. Sullivan said HUD will introduce the proposal “soon,” and it will then be open to a public-comment period, although he could not confirm how long that would last.
The announcements were met with praise from LGBT-advocacy organizations.
“The policies proposed will help some of the most vulnerable people in our community,” said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese, adding that “the nationwide survey will finally shed light on the discrimination LGBT people face every day in trying to make homes for themselves and their families.”
Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, noted that a recent NCTE survey found that 19 percent of transgender individuals had been denied an apartment or home because of their gender identity, and that 19 percent had also been homeless at one point.
“Housing is a basic right and a basic human need, and these numbers show just how blatant the discrimination is that transgender people face,” Keisling said. “We are so pleased that the Obama administration continues to express through both action and words that it is committed to making sure that all federal government programs are accessible to all people.”
Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the Family Equality Council, noted that same-sex couples with children are often treated unfairly in the housing sector and that the new policies should help alleviate some of that inequality, which she said is especially momentous for low-income families.
“As a parent, your highest priority is taking care of your children. Central to family is the ability to rent an apartment or buy a house and make a home,” Chrisler said. “These proposed regulations would prohibit discrimination LGBT families experience every day in searching for apartments or home loans. The proposals would also remove obstacles for some of our most vulnerable families by removing barriers to access to HUD’s affordable housing-assistance programs.”
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].