People of color are significantly more likely than white people to experience evictions and homelessness in the United States, the result of centuries of structural racism that continues today, that has systematically and purposefully excluded African Americans and others from equal access to housing, community supports, and opportunities for economic mobility.

We must work to right these wrongs and work towards racial equity in housing: we can’t address racial inequities without addressing housing, and we cannot solve for housing inequities without addressing race.

Memo to Members and Partners Articles

Bill Would Require Drug Testing in Public Housing and Section 8 Program

Representative David Rouzer (R-NC) introduced a bill (H.R. 2179) on May 5 that would require individuals to pass a drug test to be eligible for public housing and Section 8 rental assistance, as well as for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.…

Supreme Court Decides Cities Have Standing in Fair Housing Cases

The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-3 decision that cities, not just individuals, may sue for alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 (FHA). The Court unanimously ruled, however, that the city must demonstrate a direct relationship between a harm that it claims to have suffered and the…

Court of Appeals Rules Westchester “Engaging in Total Obstruction”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected on April 28 the consolidated sixth and seventh appeals by Westchester County, NY to a district court’s ongoing efforts to ensure that the County complies with its obligations under a 2009 consent decree to affirmatively further fair housing…