The Biden housing agenda has just suffered a major blow now that Trump is back in office, with news that Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner repealed an Obama-era rule that destroys home values causing Democrats to lose their minds.
At a Glance
- HUD has terminated the Biden-era Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule
- The Obama-era regulation, restored by Biden in 2021, was previously abolished by Trump in 2020
- HUD Secretary Scott Turner called the rule a “zoning tax” that increased housing costs
- The repeal gives local communities more control over zoning and housing decisions
- Democrats like Rep. Maxine Waters and Sen. Elizabeth Warren have criticized the decision
Trump Administration’s Victory Over Federal Overreach
In a significant win for the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce federal control over local communities, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has officially terminated the Biden-era Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule. This Obama-era regulation, which many conservatives viewed as federal overreach into local housing decisions, had been abolished during President Trump’s first term before being reinstated by the Biden administration in 2021.
In short, Trump’s reversal of the rule means your home value won’t be destroyed by developers creating low-incoming housing projects on your doorstep.
The AFFH rule, originally introduced by President Obama in 2015, required local and state governments receiving federal funds to complete extensive documentation analyzing racial and ethnic disparities in housing needs and submit detailed fair housing assessments. The rule was criticized by Republicans for creating excessive bureaucracy and imposing Washington’s will on local communities.
Returning Power to Local Communities
With this repeal, HUD is shifting authority back to state and local entities, allowing them to make independent decisions about housing development and zoning without federal micromanagement. HUD Secretary Scott Turner emphasized that this decision would eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles and ultimately reduce housing costs for Americans.
“This action also returns decisions on zoning, home building, transportation, and more to local leaders,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said.
Under the new interim final rule, localities will still need to comply with the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin. However, they will no longer be required to submit the extensive paperwork mandated by the Obama-Biden rule.
Every day it seems like some form of leftist insanity just…evaporates.
