I reprint the action alert in full at the bottom to the proposed HUD rule because the senders, a group in DC called Erase Racism, asked that it be disseminated widely. Nothing could be easier than to click on the link and send a comment to HUD. October 18 is the deadline for comments.
In the Newsday op ed referenced in the action alert below, “Slamming the Courthouse Door,” Elaine Gross explains what the new rule would do:
[The rule would] allow municipalities and... banks, realtors and management companies to claim that their policies, practices and activities are not intended to discriminate, and that, therefore, a plaintiff’s claim of discrimination is not valid. The fact that the municipalities' policies are discriminatory would not matter. What's more, a defendant could claim that a specific practice reflects standard industry practices, and that defendant would be able to discriminate without recourse.
My bolding.
Here is the action alert I received:
Now is the time to register your opposition to a proposed HUD rule (Docket No. FR-6111-P-02) that would make enforcing the Fair Housing Act of 1968 much more difficult. The proposed rule is part of the Trump administration’s relentless effort to roll back civil rights protections.
If the rule is approved, it will eviscerate housing discrimination lawsuits that challenge policies that result in discrimination or perpetuate racial segregation even if discrimination is not the policy’s stated intent. If approved, the rule will dramatically shift the burden of proof to the plaintiff in housing discrimination cases and will make it much harder to bring cases to court.
ERASE Racism and other civil rights advocates oppose this change, which is now undergoing a public comment period that ends on Friday, October 18. I hope that you will join us in registering your opposition. Please let us know if you post a comment with HUD.
A press release from ERASE Racism on the proposed rule is available here. Newsday published my op-ed on the topic, which can be found here. To learn more and to submit a comment to HUD, please click here. Comments can be submitted now. Please do not wait until October 18.
Warm regards,
Elaine
V. Elaine Gross
President
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ERASE Racism
6800 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 109W
Syosset, NY 11791
516.921.4863, ext. 12
Fax 516-921-4866
Please take a moment and consider commenting on the HUD site.