Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Marcia L. Fudge as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Jesse Van Tol, CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), made the following statement:
“I would like to congratulate Secretary Fudge on her confirmation. HUD plays a vital role in normal times, and now as we stave off further economic impacts from the coronavirus pandemic, the department will be even more important in ensuring our efforts are equitable and targeted to those Americans most in need.
“When we talk about building back better after the pandemic, that’s a literal call to action for HUD, which has broad responsibilities to enforce the nation’s fair housing laws and expand access to safe, affordable housing and resilient economic opportunities in thriving communities everywhere. That’s a daunting agenda half a century after the Fair Housing Act.
“Americans still live in segregated communities. Our economy has been great for a handful of thriving cities but also a force for gentrification and displacement of longtime, lower-income residents in them. It’s been a disaster for many more communities that have endured decades of disinvestment. Access to affordable housing and homeownership, education, healthcare, jobs, the internet, clean water and healthy food is still largely determined by where you live, and the pandemic has again revealed how intentional, government-sanctioned discrimination in housing and mortgage lending in the 20th Century is reflected today in the prevalence of diseases and reduced lifespans in formerly redlined neighborhoods. We really do need to build back much, much better, and I look forward to working with Secretary Fudge to take on these enormous challenges.
“Overall, I’ve been pleased with the direction of HUD since President Biden’s inauguration, including quick action to enforce anti-discrimination rules that were weakened or ignored in the last administration. I look forward to working with Secretary Fudge and her team to further economic justice for all Americans.”
