HUD Secretary Castro Praises Nation’s Progress Made Toward Fair Housing

In a speech at the HUD 2015 Fair Housing Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, HUD Secretary Julián Castro praised the progress the country has made in the arena of fair housing, but admitted that there is still a lot of work to do as neighborhoods remain segregated by race, national origin, and income.

"We've got a great network of partners, many of whom are in this room," Castro said. "From the Department of Justice and state and local agencies who join us in this enforcement work; to the nonprofits who’re carrying out this work in their communities; to the housing industry which is taking proactive steps to promote better quality housing and greater housing choice for all.

"This is an exciting time for all Americans who care about fair housing.  Our nation has made significant strides in shaping a society that’s open to all."

The inaugural Fair Housing Policy included addresses from Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), a former fair housing lawyer, and former Senator and Vice President Walter Mondale, who was one of the sponsors of the landmark Fair Housing Act in 1968.

"Housing discrimination cosigned many families to a life of poor health, bad schools and low-wage jobs with little hope for the future," Catro said. "But Walter Mondale and (Senator) Ed Brooke didn’t accept this fate for our nation, and their determination to right our nation’s wrongs led to the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968—boldly declaring that every American has the right to live where they choose. . .We know that everybody wins when a child gets a quality education, when a parent gets a good job and when the elderly have healthcare — and that a fair America is a thriving America."

"This is an exciting time for all Americans who care about fair housing.  Our nation has made significant strides in shaping a society that’s open to all."

In July, HUD announced the finalization of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, which Castro said will provide families with housing choice vouchers to move into communities that provide better opportunities. Castro also pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling that "disparate impact" claims are allowable under the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Castro, who became HUD Secretary in July 2014, said HUD has been proactively working with partners in eliminating barriers to opportunity rather than waiting until wrongdoing happens.

"This work is paying off," he said. "Over the past six years, we’ve helped get $330 million in compensation for more than 49,000 individuals that were allegedly subjected to housing discrimination."