Effective Date of HUD Final Rule on LGBT Discrimination Coming Soon

The final rule is effective Monday, March 5, 2012.  See below for further details...

U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced new regulations Monday, January 30^th intended to ensure that HUD's core housing programs are open to all eligible persons, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The final rule makes explicit that perceived, as well as actual, sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status cannot be factors for determining eligibility for HUD-assisted housing or FHA-insured housing.

What does this mean for assisted housing owners? Read this analysis.
By way of background, HUD published a proposed rule on January 24, 2011 which advised of evidence suggesting that LGBT individuals and families do not have equal access to housing. Such information concerned HUD because HUD is charged with promoting the federal goal of providing decent housing and a suitable living environment for all.

In the January 24, 2011 proposed rule, HUD noted that many state and local governments share the concern over equal housing opportunity for LGBT individuals and families. Twenty states, the District of Columbia, and over 200 localities have enacted laws prohibiting discrimination in housing on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.