AIA Responds to Trump Administration Rollback of Fair Housing Policy

WASHINGTON – July 29, 2020 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) condemns the recently announced rollback of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) provision (2015) of the 1968 Fair Housing Act.

Under the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, communities receiving federal subsidies were required to analyze racial segregation in housing and then submit plans to reverse such trends. The AFFH rule had been weakened in recent years. In 2018, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) eliminated the Local Government Assessment Tool, which was designed to help local governments combat racial segregation in subsidized housing. However, the Administration’s latest actions have officially nullified the original AFFH rule and its intent.

“AIA strongly opposes the Administration’s dismantling of this critical rule,” said AIA EVP/Chief Executive Officer Robert Ivy, FAIA. “Our federal government should confront the legacy of discriminatory housing policies as intended in the Fair Housing Act of 1968, not shrink away from the responsibility of ensuring our communities are equitable. At such a critical moment in time for addressing racial inequity, it’s clear we need to do more, not less, to provide equitable opportunity to all Americans, especially for a basic human need such as shelter.”

AIA has had a longstanding commitment to equitable communities, including advocating for affordable housing initiatives. On Jan. 24, AIA 2020 President Jane Frederick, FAIA, and AIA 2019 President Bill Bates, FAIA, met with the HUD assistant secretary for policy development and research to share AIA’s affordable housing priorities. Additionally, AIA provided comment on Jan. 31—following a request from HUD leadership—regarding the Administration’s call to eliminate regulatory barriers to affordable housing.

Learn more about AIA’s advocacy efforts online.

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