AFFH Rule — terminated
Secretary Turner: 'Terminating this rule restores trust in local communities.' Sequence: Biden 2023 proposed rule withdrawn January 16, 2025 (90 FR 4686); Secretary Turner announced termination February 26, 2025; HUD published Interim Final Rule (90 FR 11020, March 3, 2025, eff. April 2, 2025) reverting to a pre-1994 self-certification standard — grantees self-attest that they take 'any action … rationally related to promoting fair housing.' Sen. Warren and Rep. Waters condemned the rollback.
FHIP grants terminated — 78 grants cut
On February 27, 2025, HUD terminated 78 FHIP (Fair Housing Initiatives Program) grants — jeopardizing $30 million in congressionally authorized funding for 66 fair-housing organizations across 33 states, 'at the direction of DOGE.' Four fair-housing groups sued: *Massachusetts Fair Housing Center v. HUD* (filed March 13, 2025, D. Mass.). TRO issued by Judge Richard G. Stearns (D. Mass.) on March 26, 2025 reinstating funding. As of June 2026, funding remains precarious.
Disparate impact rule — proposed repeal
On January 14, 2026, HUD published a proposed rule to repeal its FHA 'discriminatory effects' (disparate-impact) regulation (comments due February 13, 2026). This follows Executive Order 14281 ('Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy,' April 23, 2025) directing agencies to eliminate disparate-impact liability. *Texas DHCA v. Inclusive Communities* (SCOTUS, 2015) still recognizes disparate-impact claims as a matter of statute — private and state enforcement continue.
HUD FHEO staffing and guidance
HUD proposed a 76% staffing cut to its Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) office. HUD withdrew 8+ FHEO guidance documents (Federal Register, April 6, 2026). By May 2025, HUD had closed at least 115 federal fair housing cases without resolving them (per ProPublica).
The result — in one quote
Sasha Samberg-Champion, National Housing Law Project special counsel for civil rights (Shelterforce, May 5, 2026): 'To the greatest extent, the federal government is out of business for fair housing and lending. The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division is gone, HUD [Office of] Fair Housing … [and] Equal Opportunity is gutted.'