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Biden’s Latest Whack at the Suburbs Will Change Your Neighborhood for the Worse

Posted on Friday, February 24, 2023
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by Outside Contributor
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The goal of “fair housing” would seem to be quite straightforward. As spelled out in the Fair Housing Act of 1968 – and found in realtors’ offices across the country – it precludes “discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of dwellings … based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), familial status, and disability.” In other words, those who can afford to rent or buy should not be precluded from doing so for reasons having nothing to do with the ability to pay.

But for the Biden administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development, fair housing is more -much more. In proposed regulations that would touch any jurisdiction that accepts any sort of HUD funding, fair housing must mean a plan to “promote equity in their communities, decrease segregation, and increase access to opportunity and community assets for people of color and other underserved communities.”

Translated that means that the route to upward mobility for disadvantaged minorities lies through their relocation to more affluent communities, where they will no longer be “underserved.”

The details as to how this should be done run more than 200 pages. Those required to comply will include more than 1,200 cities and counties receiving HUD funding. All will be required to develop “equity plans.”

The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released proposed guidelines that would radicalize the department’s mission.

Such equity could mean anything from building low-income housing to redrawing school district lines for racial or socio-economic integration, all as assessed by the HUD bureaucracy.

Both those concerned about the best routes to upward mobility for the poor and those concerned about administrative state overreach have reasons to be dubious. 

Opposition to the “affirmatively furthering fair housing” (AFFH) regulations will undoubtedly be labeled as racist defense of white suburbs. That is certainly how Donald Trump’s 2020 decision to suspend a previous Obama-era version of the rules was characterized. As CNN Business put it then, Trump was merely protecting neighborhoods with “higher-than-average shares of white households” from low-income housing. 

It has of late been a liberal mantra that children’s future should not be determined by the Zip Code where they grow up – and the HUD plan is meant to disperse low-income households where they are presumed to benefit from better schools and parks, which presumably city governments are inherently incapable of providing.

The underlying social science rationale, cited by HUD, is that of Harvard economists Raj Chetty and Lawrence Katz, who examined data in a 1990s HUD program called Moving to Opportunity – in which a small number of low-income households were relocated to higher-income areas.

As per HUD’s summary, “Children who move to low-poverty neighborhoods have increased academic achievement, greater long-term chances of success, and less intergenerational poverty.”

Yet the actual Harvard study is far more nuanced, although it finds that “every extra year of childhood spent in a low-poverty environment appears to be beneficial,” it also notes that “for older children (those between ages 13-18), we find that moving to a lower-poverty neighborhood has a statistically insignificant or slightly negative effect.” It is hard to imagine a government effort that would limit participation for households based on the age of their children. 

More broadly, however, HUD fails to acknowledge that sustained upward mobility is based on the constructive life decisions made at the family level – including marriage and employment. These are the building blocks of the economic gains that enable moves to better neighborhoods. It is such moves that must be protected by enforcement of anti-discrimination law.

Historically, it was the federal government, specifically the Federal Housing Administration, which engaged in racial discrimination by refusing to guarantee mortgages in racially changing neighborhoods.

HUD would bring us to a new era of color consciousness in housing policy, in the name of “equity” -comparable life outcomes for those making distinct life choices. 

Don’t be surprised if those objecting include the suburban African-American middle class, which has worked hard and played by the rules. Their concern was captured in a recent New York Times article about “black flight” from racially integrated Shaker Heights, Ohio. It quoted a Black library staffer who said, “There’s a group of African Americans that have achieved and have it together. And then there’s the group that’s still caught in not having achieved. … And I come from the mind-set: Separate yourselves at all costs from the ones who might still be struggling.”

Suburbs do need a great variety of non-single family housing types. But they should not be coerced by Washington to build new low-income housing projects. 

HUD’s analysis relied on the work of Harvard economists Raj Chetty and Lawrence Katz, who examined data in a 1990s program involving a small number of low-income households that were relocated to higher-income areas.

Then there’s what can be seen as the constitutional question raised by the AFFH regulations. HUD’s lengthy proposal is based on the thinnest of reeds in the 1968 Fair Housing Law, which, following its main anti-discrimination language, goes on direct other Federal agencies “to administer their programs … relating to housing and urban development … in a manner affirmatively to further” the policies of the act. 

It is into that small lane that HUD drives its big, regulatory truck, with communities across the country in its path. HUD defines equity as “access to high quality schools, equitable employment opportunities, reliable transportation services, parks and recreation facilities, community centers, community-based supportive services, law enforcement and emergency services, healthcare services, grocery stores, retail establishments, infrastructure and municipal services, libraries, and banking and financial institutions.”

As those aware of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the EPA’s Clean Power plan know well, the court is increasingly aware of regulatory requirements that go beyond legislative intent.

Local jurisdictions receiving HUD funds would seem to have grounds to sue to block the proposed rule, which would impose new requirements to receive previously accepted funds continent and new requirements. In 2012, the court overturned the portion of the Affordable Care Act requiring states to expand Medicaid for that reason. Justices Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer concurred.) 

Racial discrimination in housing is pernicious. For Washington to invoke it to socially engineer neighborhoods across America is dangerous. 

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Moni
Moni
1 year ago

I think it’s very simple…..can’t afford it? You can’t have it. “Underserved” is code for “lazy and I want yours.”=socialism.
I have things I worked hard for, but also can’t have some other things. Doesn’t make me “underserved”.
perhaps the “underserved” should start SERVING?

Charles Williams
Charles Williams
1 year ago

FJB wants the entire nation (other than such as Martha’s Vineyard) to become section 8 housing. It happens naturally as a city grows commerce takes over low income housing forcing those families to move outward. My neighborhood in my youth was just outside of city limits. It was incorporated decades ago and then they made our neighborhood section 8. Property values plummeted and crime went up.

Morbious
Morbious
1 year ago

This is a sword of damocles aimed at every upscale suburb that still has farm fields nearby. Where i live young couples flock to single family housing developments outside of the central city so their kids are safe from the gun and knife club in big city schools. This hideous plan will bring the dangers parents are fleeing to their doorsteps and will quickly degrade property values. The demon party destroys everything it touches.

CoNMTX
CoNMTX
1 year ago

Can anyone name one thing Loopy Joe has done in his entire career as a professional politician that has done anyone’s neighborhood any good? He was a dim bulb when he first lied his way into politics. Does it look like he has improved? His current bulb may be 1 watt.

FedUp
FedUp
1 year ago

Yes, it’s all about location. Childhood success has nothing to do with fatherless families, or mothers who have kids as a means to increase their welfare checks, or kids who drop out of schools to join gangs, or a total lack of family values and ethics. Nope, that’s not it at all. It’s all really about your house being bigger and in a better neighborhood than theirs.

PaulE
PaulE
1 year ago

Remember, the idea for this started under Obama’s second term, but was successfully killed by the courts at the time. However, the left never admits defeat. They just regroup and come of the intended agenda item from a different direction. Team Biden, which is comprised almost entirely of Obama era retreads, announced plans to do this sort of thing last year and they have been working on a means to get around the courts to enact it. This policy change is designed to hit ALL suburbs in throughout the nation. With the exception of the very high-end areas where the real people running this country happen to live. Everyone else will find their local zoning laws being upended to transform their suburban communities into urban sprawl.

People have to become much more vocal and push back a lot harder than they have been, if you actually want to have a chance to stop this and other equally bad policies from being enacted. Throwing up one’s hands and saying “There is nothing we can do for the next 2 years, but hope the Democrats don’t completely trash our country in the meantime.” isn’t going to cut it. Do I expect this to occur? Sadly no. Nothing this administration has done to date has provoked the sort of pushback from the public that is needed to stop this nonsense in its tracks. I would love to be proven wrong in this instance, but I doubt I will.

Rik
Rik
1 year ago

Undeserved has now become Underserved to these Progressively Communist wannabe Democrats! They want to do away with the “middle class” because in “Socialism” it’s just rich and poor and 99% of people would be “poor”! If that’s what they REALLY DESIRE, then they should move to whatever country would make them happy! I am so tired of listening to these stupid people and their fairytale dreams!

Carol
Carol
1 year ago

All this housing crap is to turn red states to blue states so Democrat Marxists will win every election! The dictator-wannabes have been planning their take over for decades and every step is just another intrusion into the lives of Americans turning our country into a totalitarian state with total conformity to Marxism!

Jackie
Jackie
1 year ago

Another really screwed up idea of Democrats!!! Is this the Democrats way of housing the millions of illegals they have allowed to enter our country?? They won’t stop until they have socialized our country!!

CNHT
CNHT
1 year ago

In NH, the republicans are doing this! Including the governor.

Kay
Kay
1 year ago

This is the socialist democrats plan to change the face of America. We will soon be a total nation

David Millikan
David Millikan
1 year ago

Excellent article.
Leave it the Fascist liberals to ruin everything.

C Dill
C Dill
1 year ago

I believe it is up to the elected officials in these underserved areas to improve the conditions for their people, moving them will not do anything for them.

Jeanette
Jeanette
1 year ago

This phony president needs to be removed from the office he is disgracing along with his whole worthless cabinet. We need to stop immediately giving our tax dollars to the corupt leader if Ukraine. We have citizens here who need help including g veterans who ole Joe forgot. First he wants to ruin suburbs where people of every race and religions live in peace. What’s next. No doubt Social Security and Medicare..he’s been trying to kill Social Security since his Senate days. I’m nearly 86 and quite frankly I am angry to what this cheating man has done in 2 years!

MariaRose
MariaRose
1 year ago

What is totally missing in this attempt to create “equity” is that it is not just the neighborhood appearance that creates the “better” situation but how the individuals maintain their living environment. It is not the mixing up of the different types of individuals that is the problem but the changing of attitude in care of the property and how one relates to their neighbors. I am talking about simple things–not littering or junk pile ups, maintain the exterior of the building–sidewalks and front facing yard, following the correct disposal of trash and recycling, following noise curfews which doesn’t inhibit late night parties but does limit the noise levels after certain hours, don’t indulge in smoking outside so much cannabis that the entire neighborhood smells it and needs to invest in outside air filters, don’t use guns as conversation. In other words politely speaking don’t downgrade the neighborhood become part of the neighborhood.

Moses
Moses
1 year ago

I have come to the conclusion that the democrats have substantially over played their hand. The Democratic Committee 2020 platform agenda is exactly the play book for all this nonsense. Radical is the word for all this. Republicans are going to thicken their skin, doesn’t hurt to get called racist, we will be ok. These poor managers of these companies that fell in to to the woke b.s, are clearing their collective heads and have realized the majority didn’t fall for this and they are losing business over it. They will change or be replaced. The fad is over, Biden has such a train wreck on his hands that the experiment has become not just a failure, but a huge failure.

Bill
Bill
1 year ago

Everything the government gets involved in goes to Hell always

John Gannon
John Gannon
1 year ago

Federal Government isn’t doing what they are supposed to do, Protecting the Border, the citizens preventing illegal child trafficking, drugs or Federal Property- they want to involve themselves in State Government to destroy them too

MariaRose
MariaRose
1 year ago

When Biden’s private housing is made to include these developments then will I say that’s fair and equal but he continues to live behind a now-walled estate with his forever till he dies Secret Service detail. There’s no sharing if those that tell us to share don’t do the same.

REB1957
REB1957
1 year ago

The final spending bill provides HUD programs with $61.8 billion, or $8.1 billion more than FY22-enacted levels.

Imagine shutting HUD down. It would move us in the direction necessary to cut back on how our tax dollars are expensed, but also a step towards excess government spending in general and government intervention into our lives.

I vote for the closure of HUD. I encourage all to support the Convention of States.

Michael Quinn
Michael Quinn
1 year ago

Go to any major city and view the success of the “projects”, now the Dems want to bring that success to a neighborhood near you.

That was originally part of Obama’s plan along with dropping illegal aliens into red states under cover of darkness. It is also this plan through his puppet-O’Biden-to move blue projects into carefully selected red counties to try to tip them-at least-to purple.

I agree with REB 1957, abolish HUD, but go even further abolish Education, Labor, Transportation, Energy, Agriculture, HHS, and trim Homeland Security to border control only. Let the individual states close or run these departments as the citizens of that state see fit. Commiefornia and Blue York should not be making the life and liberty decisions for the rest of us.

Fred Orestuk
Fred Orestuk
1 year ago

So let me understand this The Demo-Schmucks wish to eliminate single family homes, with all the green grass , trees, bushes shrubs and install concrete and steel tenements of the future, putting 100 pounds of poop in a 5 pound bag, and at the same time fight climate change due to excessive methane discharge in concentrated areas, is that correct?

David Block
David Block
1 year ago

Is this for real? How idiotic.

DJ
DJ
1 year ago

Extreme government overreach via Fed purse strings, ushers in the woke, agenda. Equity is code word for the radical left marxist/socialist ideology

Steve
Steve
1 year ago

????????????????????????‍????????‍????????‍????????‍????

Nana
Nana
1 year ago

I have no statistics to tout but in the 1990’s while living in a very average lower middle class neighborhood in a 3 bedroom 1 bath prefabricated rental house in Ceder Rapifs, Iowa, my 4 th and 6th grade boys were riding bikes on our street right in front of our house when a large group of about6-8 black boys rode their bikes up and beat the crap out of my sons. When the oldest of my boys asked them why they said because my boys are white. It traumatized my sons for life. At that time their best friend from 1 block down was a wonderful black boy who was incensed at the attack. Police said the gang was from Chicago recently relocated through a government program to a neighborhood several blocks away. I don’t think just plopping people down on unsuspecting folks is the answer. Maybe some serious government funds should be designated to teach those being moved to assimilate themselves in more positive ways instead of bringing THEIR preconceived prejudices and bad habits. Obviously just relocating is NOT the answer and can be detrimental and traumatic to innocent neighbors!!! Let’s go Brandon! And God help us all if he is allowed to continue his destructive policies.

Karen Quinn
Karen Quinn
1 year ago

It’s called Gentrification. Name it, Biden!!!! This is the joke and flaw with ONE of the these points by Harvard Economists, Chetty and Katz (how old are *they*??? lol), is the statement “reliable transportation services.” Lol…there aren’t many burbs with public bussing! And if they do, good luck! If you don’t have a vehicle in the burbs, you’ll be spending a lot on Uber and Yellow Cab. Lol Why does everything libs touch turn to poop? God help the USofA!

James H
James H
1 year ago

What about going into “underserved” neighbors and building them up, providing what is needed for them to reverse the poverty cycle? Some of these places have been “third world” for decades!! All of them are governed by democrats!! Why would we want to expand on the socialist failed experiment! Everything the Left touches turns to garbage. America, wake up!! Their ideology is bad for America and/or anywhere it is applied!!

Lisa Skinner
Lisa Skinner
1 year ago

I am so tired of hearing the word “equity.”

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