HUD Releases New Policies to Ensure LGBT Equality in Housing
Earlier this week new regulations regarding LGBT hospital visitation went into effect.
Thank you, President Obama.
Now, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development is releasing new regulations to ensure equality for LGBT people in housing.
The new rules are designed to ensure HUD housing programs are available to all people, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. You can check out the proposed rule here.
“This is a fundamental issue of fairness,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “We have a responsibility to make certain that public programs are open to all Americans. With this proposed rule, we will make clear that a person’s eligibility for federal housing programs is, and should be, based on their need and not on their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
HUD is also conducting the first national survey on discrimination against LGBT people in housing. According to HUD:
"Every ten years, HUD does a study of the impact of housing discrimination on the basis of race and color. HUD undertook this important research in 1977, 1989 and 2000 and is currently undertaking this study again. It is believed that LGBT individuals and families may remain silent because in many local jurisdictions, they may have little or no legal recourse. While there are no national assessments of LGBT housing discrimination, there are state and local studies that have shown evidence of this sort of bias. For example, a 2007 report by Michigan’s Fair Housing Centers <http://www.fhcmichigan.org/images/Arcus_web1.pdf > found that nearly 30 percent of same-sex couples were treated differently when attempting to buy or rent a home.
HUD currently requires its recipients of discretionary funds to comply with local and state non-discrimination laws that cover sexual orientation or gender identity. In July, the Department issued new guidance that treats discrimination based on gender nonconformity or sex stereotyping as sex discrimination under the Fair Housing Act, and instructs HUD staff to inform individuals filing complaints about state and local agencies that have LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination laws."
Hooray HUD, Secretary Shaun Donovan and hooray President Obama! To read the press release, visit HUD.
