HUD reverses Trump policy, bans gender identity housing bias
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Housing and Urban Development will begin enforcing a ban on housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The move is a major reversal of the position under the Trump administration’s housing secretary, Ben Carson.
“Every person should be able to secure a roof over their head free from discrimination, and the action we are taking today will move us closer to that goal,” said Jeanine M. Worden, acting assistant secretary of Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, in a statement.
The policy change announced Thursday acts off an interpretation of the Fair Housing Act and the Supreme Court’s ruling last summer that gender identity and sexual orientation are protected by the 1964 Civil Rights Act.