Turner Scraps Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule

Secretary Scott Turner at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is scrapping the 2021 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule.

AFFH, which was established under the 1968 Fair Housing Act, directs the government to promote fair housing choice, eliminate disparities in housing, and foster inclusive communities.

A similar Obama-era rule was overturned during the previous Trump administration but reinstated under former President Joe Biden.

The Biden rule followed the same contours of its predecessor, streamlining required fair housing analysis for local governments, states, and public housing agencies, which would be required to submit to HUD an “equity plan” for approval every five years.

President Donald Trump previously denounced the rule, saying it would “destroy the value of houses.”

The HUD press release suggested the rule is effectively a “zoning tax.”

“Local and state governments understand the needs of their communities much better than bureaucrats in Washington D.C. Terminating this rule restores trust in local communities and property owners, while protecting America’s suburbs and neighborhood integrity,” Turner said in a statement.

“By terminating the AFFH rule, localities will no longer be required to complete onerous paperwork and drain their budgets to comply with the extreme and restrictive demands made up by the federal government.”

Now, a locality’s certification that it has affirmatively furthered fair housing in accordance with the Fair Housing Act would be deemed sufficient.