SENATE COMMUNITY AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE RESOLUTION No. 76

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JULY 16, 2020

      The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee reports favorably Senate Resolution No. 76.

     This resolution expresses the Senate’s opposition to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (“HUD”) proposed rulemaking that would weaken its 2015 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (“AFFH”) rule.  The AFFH rule established a new framework for communities receiving HUD funding to meet their longstanding legal obligation under the federal Fair Housing Act to reduce barriers to fair housing and equal opportunity.  The AFFH rule introduced a number of new measures to make it clearer and easier for these communities to take meaningful actions to overcome historic patterns of segregation, promote fair housing choice, and foster inclusive communities free from discrimination.  HUD’s proposal would jettison much of the AFFH rule.