Attorney General James Responds to President Trump’s Statements on Affordable Housing

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued the following response to President Trump’s comments regarding affordable housing in suburban communities:

“Donald Trump’s recent actions and rhetoric surrounding affordable housing are a continuation of decades spent championing discriminatory housing practices. His comments yesterday are deeply racist in nature, and his move to roll back the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule reiterates his acceptance and approval of racial segregation in housing. No one deserves to be left out of communities due to race, financial status, or any other discriminatory qualifier, and I am prepared to explore all legal options in order to keep this critical rule in place.”

Attorney General James has previously taken action to combat the Trump administration’s attempts to eliminate protections against discriminatory housing practices. In October 2019, Attorney General James co-led a coalition of 22 attorneys general opposing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) proposed changes to its Disparate Impact Rule, which would make it harder for states to ensure equal housing opportunities for all Americans.