LDF Urges States and Congress to Push for Fair Housing Enforcement and Compliance as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Becomes Law

Read a PDF of our statement here.

Today, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is urging states and localities to advance fair housing policies and for Congress to conduct ongoing oversight of federal housing agencies now that the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (ROAD) has become law. After two weeks awaiting a signature from President Trump, the bill aimed at addressing affordability by increasing housing supply and homeownership became law at midnight without sign off from the Oval Office. The bill had been held hostage as the President conditioned his approval on Congress first passing the SAVE America Act, a proof-of-citizenship, voter suppression bill he has long pushed but the Senate has rejected.

While LDF commends the ROAD to Housing Act's provisions addressing home appraisal discrimination, disaster recovery, small dollar home loans and homelessness, the Act stops short of providing adequate fair housing supports. The bill fails to address the guardrails needed to ensure new and existing affordable housing resources provide equal opportunity to Black communities and all who are to be protected by our country's fair housing laws. Given this Administration's failure to fully enforce fair housing and ensure program compliance with anti-discrimination laws, LDF calls for more to be done as implementation of ROAD begins.

"Black residents have historically been left out of housing investments and opportunities in this country," said Demetria McCain, Policy Director at LDF. "By creating mechanisms to increase the housing supply without guaranteeing resources will reach Black communities, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ communities and others, this bill sets the stage for unchecked housing segregation and discrimination."

In response, we're calling on state and local leaders to advance fair housing in their communities. We also urge Congress to closely monitor the bill's implementation and conduct robust oversight of fair housing enforcement and compliance as the Administration continues to roll back civil rights protections.

LDF is committed to ensuring fair housing laws are enforced and that every American has access to safe, affordable housing where they can thrive.

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation's first civil rights legal organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957, though it was founded under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall while he was at the NAACP. LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute (TMI) is a division of LDF that undertakes innovative research and houses LDF's archive. In all media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF (do not include NAACP) and refer to the Institute as LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute or TMI.