By Chris Holden on March 12th, 2018
HUD officials are in the process of revising the agency’s mission statement. Affordable housing supporters were upset to hear that a commitment to fair housing and ending housing discrimination were not included in the draft statement. Fair housing advocates raised objections, and a few days later HUD Secretary Ben Carson felt compelled to affirm the Department’s ongoing commitment to Fair Housing and inclusive communities.
The new mission statement was circulated for review in a March 5 memo to HUD political staff. It was drafted with direct input from Secretary Carson and his deputy. It says that:
HUD’s mission is to ensure Americans have access to fair, affordable housing and opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency, thereby strengthening our communities and nation.In contrast, the current mission statement drafted by the Obama Administration emphasizes fair housing values at the center of the agency’s work:
HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business.Fair housing advocates were concerned about the lack of commitment to inclusive communities and anti-discrimination in the proposed mission statement. It produced backlash from a range of civil rights organizations, including Human Rights Campaign, which promotes LGBTQ rights. Their concern with losing the language about inclusive communities stems from recent HUD actions such as pulling online training materials to help homeless shelters ensure equal access to transgender persons. Even Zillow, the online real estate site, expressed concern that this change was taking us in the wrong direction. Secretary Carson sent a letter to all HUD employees on March 8 responding to the media accounts about the new mission statement. He affirmed his support for the current statement’s language about inclusive communities and pointed to a statement issued by HUD the day before:
"You can be sure of one thing -- any mission statement for this Department will embody the principle of fairness as a central element of everything that we do. HUD has been, is now, and will always be committed to ensuring inclusive housing free form discrimination for all Americans." -HUD Secretary Ben CarsonThe new statement is still under review by senior HUD staff. The Secretary’s letter at least suggests that a commitment to fair housing may be stronger in the final version. Why should this matter to low-income renters? Although changing an agency’s mission statement might not have the same impact as a budget cut, it can still affect how the agency carries out its programs. If the agency leaves fair housing out of its mission statement, fewer resources and oversight will be devoted to reducing discrimination. That means fewer options for low-income renters who need help dealing with housing discrimination.
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