The National Fair Housing Alliance Enthusiastically Supports Housing is Infrastructure Act and Other Critical Housing Infrastructure Bills Introduced by Chairwoman Waters

Washington, D.C. — The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) has placed strong support behind three bills introduced today by House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters — the Housing Is Infrastructure Act, Downpayment Toward Equity Act, and Ending Homelessness Act. NFHA applauds the Congresswoman for her bold leadership in advancing housing equity and stability. Taken together, these bills will strengthen the nation’s infrastructure, add millions of living wage jobs to the economy, and expand equitable opportunities for millions of Americans. 
 
“For too long, Congress has starved the public of the necessary resources to make safe, decent, and affordable homes available to everyone, and it has all but guaranteed the racial inequities we see today by neglecting the civil rights programs that protect our fair housing rights,” said Lisa Rice, President and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance. “We applaud Congresswoman Waters’ tireless efforts to finally address our nation’s affordable housing crisis and racial homeownership gap. The bills introduced today finally place housing in its rightful place among the various infrastructure investments that have historically ignored its centrality to a well-functioning society and economy. And the fair housing investments and guardrails in the bills will help ensure that everyone in this country is connected to opportunity, regardless of where their home may be.”
 
The legislation from Chairwoman Waters positions housing as a fundamental component of our nation’s infrastructure and seeks to correct the harm caused by previous infrastructure bills, such as the National Highway Acts, to communities and people of color. Together, if enacted, these bills would take important steps toward providing desperately needed affordable housing, ending homelessness, and reversing the nation’s growing racial homeownership gap. The bills help achieve these important goals with equity and fairness as guiding principles for how housing resources will be deployed. They will drive economic growth and ensure that Black and Brown communities are included in President Biden’s goal to “Build Back Better.” It is long past time for Congress to confront our nation’s affordable housing crisis and address racial homeownership gaps largely created by exclusionary federal housing policies.
Housing is Infrastructure Act.
 
The cornerstone legislation, the Housing is Infrastructure Act, rightfully recognizes housing as a fundamental component of our nation’s infrastructure. It also seeks to correct the harm caused by previous infrastructure bills. By crafting the bill through an equity lens and recognizing housing as an essential component of infrastructure, the legislation aims to invest in all communities through the preservation, retrofitting, or new construction of housing while simultaneously spurring new transportation, environmental, energy, and clean water projects that benefit us all. Notably, the bill includes:
 
  • $10 billion in a Community Revitalization Fund to support community infrastructure projects;
  • $2.5 billion to support fair housing activities through the Fair Housing Initiatives Program to ensure infrastructure projects equitably benefit all communities;
  • $15 billion for grants to support the elimination of exclusionary land uses and streamline development of fair and affordable housing;
  • Funding to ensure consumers can access critical information about affordable and sustainable housing opportunities;
  • $75 billion to fill capital needs for public housing;
  • $45 billion for the Housing Trust Fund to support new rental homes for people with the lowest incomes;
  • $35 billion for the HOME Investment Partnership Program for the construction, rehab, or purchase of homes for low-income people;
  • The requirement that all infrastructure projects are implemented in a manner that affirmatively furthers fair housing, strengthens and develops neighborhoods, expands access to critical amenities, like broadband, clean water and energy, and transportation; and
  • $5 billion in funding for fair housing staff at HUD to enable the agency to effectively implement programs, provide technical assistance to jurisdictions, and ensure compliance with federal civil rights laws.
 
Downpayment Toward Equity Act
Our nation’s history of government-sponsored segregation and exclusion resonates to this day, as people of color, especially Black and Latino individuals, lack familial wealth and still face barriers to homeownership. Today, Black and Latino families have significantly less net worth when compared to their White counterparts, resulting in less cushion available to them to weather major life setbacks and economic shocks, like the COVID-19 pandemic. This is largely due to the challenges that people of color face when trying to accumulate the necessary down payment on a mortgage, especially after years of exclusion from previous federally subsidized wealth building opportunities in housing.
 
To address this, the Downpayment Toward Equity Act provides $100 billion in first-generation homeowner assistance to individuals whose parents — or they themselves — do not own a home. We applaud Chairwoman Waters for funding this transformational down payment assistance program modeled on a proposal from NFHA and the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), and we urge the Biden Administration to support this important legislation to ensure that it can best meet its promise to realize fair housing in the United States.  
 
Ending Homelessness Act of 2021
Affordable housing in the United States has historically been underfunded, and today only 1 in 4 households that qualify for housing aid are able to secure housing assistance. And of those households that can secure a voucher, many are turned away by landlords who refuse to participate in the program, often because of racist, sexist, or classist stereotypes. To stop this, the Ending Homelessness Act would create a universal housing voucher entitlement program to ensure that every eligible household is provided with rental assistance and once and for all prohibit voucher and other forms of source of income discrimination. These major provisions will eliminate waiting lists and provide every eligible household in need the opportunity to access affordable rental housing, free from discrimination.
 
Defining infrastructure narrowly ignores the intricate and impactful connections that exist between determining where a new metro line will be laid and the housing that will have to be razed to make way for the new transportation system; how it will connect people from where they live to the places where they work, go to school, worship, or get healthcare; and how the new system will ever change the contours of neighborhoods where we live. We look forward to working with Congress to pass the Housing Is Infrastructure Act, Downpayment Assistance Act, and Ending Homelessness Act; and we urge the Biden Administration to fully support these transformational bills.  
 
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Founded in 1988, the National Fair Housing Alliance is a consortium of more than 200 private, nonprofit fair housing organizations and state and local civil rights agencies from throughout the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NFHA works to eliminate housing discrimination and ensure equal housing opportunity for all people through leadership, education, outreach, membership services, public policy initiatives, community development, advocacy, and enforcement. FHC President/CEO Vince Larkins is a member of the NFHA Board of Directors.

Justice Department Obtains Settlement from Landlord to Resolve Claims Of Sexual Harassment Against Female Tenants

The Justice Department today announced it has reached an agreement with defendant Larry Nelson to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that he sexually harassed female tenants while owning and managing San Diego area rental properties.  

Under the consent order entered by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Nelson must pay at least $230,000 to $205,000 in damages to tenants harmed by his harassment and a $25,000 civil penalty to the United States. A judgment for an additional $350,000 also was entered against Nelson in favor of the United States, but is suspended based on sworn disclosure statements reflecting Nelson’s financial situation. Any misrepresentation or omission by Nelson on those disclosure statements will trigger collection of the suspended judgment. Nelson also is prohibited from being involved in property management of rental units in the future and must hire an independent professional property manager. He also must implement a nondiscrimination policy and complaint procedure and must release judgments obtained against victims whom he wrongfully evicted.  

The United States’ lawsuit alleged that Nelson’s harassment spanned a period of nearly two decades. The allegations included that Nelson engaged in unwelcome sexual touching, offered to reduce monthly rental payments in exchange for sex, made unwelcome sexual comments and advances, made intrusive and unannounced visits to female tenants’ homes to further his sexual advances, and evicted or threatened to evict female tenants who objected to or refused his sexual advance.

“People deserve to be safe in their homes,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Sexual harassment in housing deprives them of that security. The Justice Department will not tolerate landlords who abuse their power by sexually harassing their tenants and will continue vigorously to pursue allegations of sexual harassment.”

“Abusive landlords in San Diego and Imperial counties should be on notice that protecting the civil rights of citizens in our district is a top priority, and we do not tolerate discrimination and harassment in housing,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman for the Southern District of California. “Holding a key to someone’s property is a position of trust, not a license to engage in illegal sexual harassment and sexual demands.”

This case was jointly litigated by attorneys in the Civil Rights Division and the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.  The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country.  The goal of the department’s Initiative is to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers, or other people who have control over housing.  Since launching the Initiative in October 2017, the Department of Justice has filed 21 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $2.5 million for victims of such harassment.

National Fair Housing Alliance Praises Biden-Harris Administration’s New Efforts to Narrow Racial Wealth Gap

Washington, D.C. — Today, Lisa Rice, President and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s historic announcement today in Tulsa, Oklahoma regarding new actions to build Black wealth and narrow the racial wealth gap:

“We are thrilled to see the Biden-Harris Administration taking steps to build Black wealth, narrow the racial wealth gap and reinvest in communities that have been slighted for centuries, and we are encouraged by the measures the Administration is taking to ensure people of color can tap into and access housing and lending opportunities. 

“Being eligible for an opportunity does not mean people can access that program, product, or service. In fact, structural racism has meant that eligible people of color often cannot avail themselves of opportunities to access homeownership. Secretary Marcia Fudge is making sure components are in place so people can get the quality loans they need to purchase housing they can afford in their neighborhood of choice.

“The steps President Biden is taking to address our nation’s long history of housing discrimination and the structural barriers that lock people out of housing opportunities is both welcomed and urgently needed. Racism is not only harmful to individuals, but it is destructive to our entire society. It makes us less competitive and productive in global markets.

“It is critically important that federal agencies take steps to bolster homeownership rates for low- and moderate-income homebuyers in underserved communities while protecting against gentrification. Across the country, just 48 percent of Latinos and 42 percent of Blacks own their own homes, compared to 72 percent of Whites. Latino and Black Americans also have just a fraction of the wealth of their White counterparts.

“The low rate of homeownership among Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asians is a result of the persistent wealth gap, discrimination, and structural barriers such as algorithmic bias. The use of technology in the housing industry is on the rise. It has been criticized for contributing to discriminatory outcomes that have profound impacts on whether people of color can successfully obtain housing, credit, or insurance.

“There is so much work to be done to address centuries of redlining, segregation, a widening wealth gap, and other biased policies that are unfortunately woven into our nation’s fabric. Our Keys Unlock Dreams initiative is dedicated to increasing the homeownership rate for communities of color and millennials while simultaneously closing the racial wealth gap and ensuring that every neighborhood has the resources and amenities people need to live successful lives. Through this effort and continued innovative approaches like what the Biden-Harris Administration is proposing, we are confident we can put an end to housing inequality and place underserved families in positions to own homes and accumulate intergenerational wealth.” 

About NFHA’s Keys Unlock Dreams Initiative

Keys Unlock Dreams is a nationwide initiative led by the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) dedicated to increasing the homeownership rate for communities of color and millennials, while simultaneously closing the racial wealth gap. This initiative strives to demystify and unlock the American dream of homeownership, opening the doors to the many opportunities and options that it provides.

Kristen Clarke becomes first Black woman to head DOJ’s Civil Rights Division

Washington, D.C.-The Senate has confirmed Kristen Clarke to be the Justice Department’s civil rights chief, making her the first Black woman to fill the high-profile role.
 
Clarke fills the post at a pivotal time for the Justice Department. Clarke, a longtime civil rights attorney, will reinvigorate investigations of systemic housing discrimination, inquiries that languished during the previous administration.
 
The daughter of Jamaican immigrants, Clarke began her career as a Justice Department lawyer, prosecuting police brutality, hate crimes and human trafficking cases and enforcing voting rights laws. She continued advocacy work on voting rights at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and was the civil rights enforcement officer for the New York State Attorney General’s Office. 
 
” I can think of no better person to lead the Civil Rights Division than Kristen Clarke,” stated Vince Larkins, FHC President/CEO. “At this crucial time in the history of our nation, with Freedom, Justice and Equality hanging in the balance, the FHC congratulates Ms. Clarke on her historic appointment. We look forward to working with her in our common mission of fair housing for all people,” he further stated.
 
“NFHA extends its warmest congratulations to Kristen Clarke. Her confirmation will help the Justice Department immensely as the agency works to restore the American people’s faith in our democratic institutions, stated Lisa Rice, President and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA). “With her vast experience, Clarke is the most qualified candidate to lead civil rights enforcement for the nation. She is a powerful and dedicated civil rights advocate who has worked at the federal and state levels to enforce fair housing and other civil rights laws. Her entire career – in fact, her entire life – has been spent in the pursuit of equal justice under law, and she is exactly the leader that the Division needs right now,” she further stated.  

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