Fair Housing / Lending News

  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued guidance clarifying that real estate professionals can legally share information about neighborhood crime rates and school quality with homebuyers—as long as it’s done consistently and without discriminatory intent. Scott Turner emphasized that buyers should have access to important information like safety and school performance when making housing decisions. Craig Trainor explained that “steering” (illegal under the Fair Housing Act) requires intentional discrimination based on protected characteristics (like race, religion, etc.). Simply providing crime data or school ratings is not a violation if it’s shared equally and without bias. Agencies funded under fair housing programs (FHAP and FHIP) should not treat the sharing of this information alone as discrimination. HUD is pushing back against prior industry practices where brokerages limited such information out of fear of fair housing violations. The stat...

 The Op-Ed argues that the Trump administration is reshaping the Fair Housing Act to fit its own political agenda, targeting Boston, Minneapolis, and Washington State over housing policies meant to address historic racial discrimination. By insisting on “color-blind” policy and investigating claims of “reverse racism,” the administration is challenging local efforts to expand fair housing. The authors focus less on the federal threat than on how communities are responding. They point to three strategies: investing in community land trusts , using Special Purpose Credit Programs to help historically excluded borrowers access homeownership, and standing firm against federal pressure through local organizing and policy reform. Examples from Boston and Meadville, Pennsylvania, show that resistance is not limited to major cities. Despite federal pushback, many local governments and grassroots groups continue to advance fair housing goals. The piece ultimately presents a hopeful me...