March 22, 2018 | Categories: About FHC, News | Tags: Ben Carson, civil rights, Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan, National Fair Housing Alliance, US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Earlier this month, the Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan joined with 572 other civil rights organizations to send a letter to Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Ben Carson, in response to media reports that the Secretary was aiming to change HUD’s mission statement. Coordinated by the National Fair Housing Alliance, the letter urged Secretary Carson to keep “inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination” in HUD’s mission statement.
The current mission statement reads: “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.”
The proposed mission statement, according to the news source that broke the story, would read: “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.”
2018 is the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Center firmly believes that enforcement and promotion of the Fair Housing Act must be a part of HUD’s mission. The National Fair Housing Alliance is scheduling a meeting with Secretary Carson to address the concerns from the letter. We will keep you posted on this issue.