“To nullify certain regulations and notices of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section nullifies four Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rules and notices related to the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) requirement—under which HUD funding recipients must take proactive steps to overcome barriers to fair housing—and any substantially similar successors: (1) the proposed AFFH rule published February 9, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 8516); (2) the interim final rule entitled “Restoring Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Definitions and Certifications” published June 10, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 30779); (3) the final AFFH rule published July 16, 2015 (80 Fed. Reg. 42272); and (4) the AFFH Assessment Tool notice published December 31, 2015 (80 Fed. Reg. 81840). (Thus, HUD grantees such as state and local governments and public housing agencies are no longer bound by these regulations' mandates to conduct AFFH assessments of fair housing and certify related compliance.)
This section prohibits the use of federal funds to design, build, maintain, utilize, or provide access to a federal database of geospatial information on community racial disparities or disparities in access to affordable housing.
This section directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to consult jointly with state officials, local government officials, and public housing agency officials—defined per section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b))—to develop recommendations, consistent with Supreme Court rulings, to further Fair Housing Act purposes, following specified procedures that include providing notice and opportunity to participate, consulting a broad cross-section of perspectives, emphasizing collaboration, allowing meaningful input, promoting transparency, and exploring non-regulatory alternatives. Not later than 12 months after enactment, the Secretary must publish a Federal Register draft report including only consensus recommendations (or describing areas of agreement, disagreement, and reasons therefor if consensus is not reached on any proposal), provide a 180-day public comment period, prepare a final report addressing comments in consultation with participants, and make the final report publicly available online.