U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun
Donovan of announced that a new rule banning LGBT
discrimination in federal housing programs will be codified next week. “LGBT
discrimination is real,” says Sec. Donovan, “and we must do something about
it.” The proposed rule was announced last June and will go into effect 30 days
after the law is codified.
The new
rule prohibits any HUD-assisted or HUD-insured housing facility from asking
a potential applicant about their sexual orientation or gender identity and
bans discrimination against LGBT people by lenders offering Federal Housing
Administration mortgages. The definition of “family” used by HUD programs is
clarified under the new rule, and states that families cannot be excluded from
HUD programs because of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
The law will cover over an estimated 5.5 million Americans who are living in
low-income subsidized housing.
“Enacting a rule is not enough. Training and education are
essential to ensuring rules are followed in communities across the country,” said
Sec. Donovan. HUD also intends to provide training surrounding the new rule.
“Publishing this rule next week won’t be the end of the process—but in many ways,
just the beginning.”
3 comments:
HUD is selling the LGBT community a bill of goods. Consider the Mission Gardens Section 8 apartment complex in Santa Cruz, California.
At Mission Gardens an adult gang of LGBT haters stalk any residents they perceive to be LGBT. They use the crudest of LGBT stereotypes to claim perceived LGBT residents endanger Mission Gardens children. They solicit petitions to wrongfully evict perceived LGBT residents. These LGBT haters use LGBT slurs and vandalize cars with LGBT hate symbols.
The John Stewart Company which manages Mission Gardens refuses to protect perceived LGBT residents from this harassment. Their attorney claims the management is not responsible for monitoring pleasant interactions between residents. The John Stewart Company denies, deflects and lies to evade responsibility.
Worse, HUD has been aware of the LGBT hate situation at Mission Gardens since August 2009. Entreaties have been made to HUD's Washington D.C. Headquarters, recently reaching the desk of HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.
If HUD won't protect Mission Gardens residents from such blatant LGBT hate, how can the LGBT community expect HUD to deliver on their promises with their new LGBT housing discrimination rule?
While the LGBT discrimination is real, the rights of the property owners cannot also be denied. For instance, if a property owner posted his condo for rent, it is his right to choose who would rent his condo. It is not about LGBT discrimination. It is also about having a good foresight on who would he feel comfortable having as tenants. Now, this is a different issue altogether when it comes to selling properties. Sellers and developers should not discriminate the LGBT community when they want to buy a particular property. A right is only claimable when it does not impinge on other people's rights.
It is just right. There should be no discrimination as to who gets a roof to cover their head or who don't. It is a right that every citizen is entitled equally.
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