The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) exclaims the importance of estate professionals relaying information about crime rates and school quality data to homebuyers and renters with a letter.
“Buying a home is one on the most significant decisions a family will ever make,” said Secretary Scott Turner. “Americans should not be left in the dark about vital facts like neighborhood safety or school quality. HUD is making clear that real estate professionals can openly and lawfully provide this information in an equal and consistent manner to American families.”
Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor explains that unlawful steering under the Fair Housing Act requires intentional discrimination based on protected characteristics.
While providing homebuyers with information about school quality and crime is not a violation when it is shared consistently without discrimination.
Americans will be better situated to find affordable, decent, and fair housing that meets their families’ needs.
During the Biden Administration, major real estate brokerages and listing platforms discouraged or restricted the sharing of neighborhood information, citing fair housing concerns. These changes were shaped not by the law’s requirements but out of an effort to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology.
Pushed by activists and bureaucrats, this project treated the use of data related to crime statistics and school ratings as inherently discriminatory. This resulted in issues for the buyers because of the lack of transparency.
Fair housing protections and informed consumer choice go hand in hand, and the Fair Housing Act does not require withholding useful information on school quality and crime statistics. This letter helps deliver on HUD’s commitment to expanding access to safe, decent, affordable, and fair housing by equipping Americans with the knowledge they need to make informed housing decisions.
