ABC News, August 16, 2019: Trump rule to make it tougher to prove discriminatory housing practices
The Trump administration on Friday proposed a new rule that would make it harder for Americans to file complaints of housing discrimination, a move officials said was necessary to protect businesses from unnecessary legal exposure.
Anti-poverty advocates and civil rights groups countered that the draft rule would worsen an already existing “racial wealth gap” in America at a time when African American homeownership is on the decline. They said changes to the rule were pushed aggressively by the insurance and lending industries who wanted more protection against any claims that their business practices might disproportionately impact minorities and women.
Jesse Van Tol, CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition a group that works to bring investment to underserved communities, said the rule would create an overly broad exemption to discriminatory practices.
“HUD’s proposal makes it far more difficult for those injured by stealth discriminatory policies to prove discrimination. The bar was already set high and HUD‘s proposal would put it in the stratosphere – it really strains credulity,” Van Tol said in a statement.
