Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with 20 other state attorneys general, has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. The brief supports fair housing organizations in their appeal against a ruling that removed a temporary restraining order. The order initially blocked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from canceling grant funding to these organizations.
"The legacy of discrimination and segregation in housing continues to negatively affect the overall health of communities and limits the potential of neighborhoods throughout the United States," Raoul stated. He emphasized the necessity for HUD to provide this funding under federal law as part of efforts to eliminate discriminatory housing practices. He criticized the Trump administration's decision to cancel the funding as "unlawful overreach."
HUD's Fair Housing Initiative Program (FHIP) was created to support private, nonprofit housing organizations working against discriminatory practices and enforcing fair housing laws. Earlier this year, HUD unexpectedly canceled 78 FHIP grants affecting housing organizations in 33 states. This decision was made without prior warning, despite statutory funding requirements.
Following HUD's decision, 66 nonprofit housing organizations sued in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts. The court had initially reinstated the grant funding through a temporary restraining order on March 26. However, after an interim ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court in a separate case, HUD moved to dissolve the restraining order, a request the district court granted on April 14. The housing groups are now appealing this decision.
The attorneys general argue in their brief that the temporary restraining order should be reinstated, claiming the plaintiffs have a strong chance of winning the lawsuit. They assert that HUD’s withdrawal of funding disrupts the housing organizations' work, leading to increased undiscovered and unaddressed housing discrimination.
Raoul highlighted his office's past collaboration with these organizations in Illinois, aiding individuals with disabilities and members of other protected classes facing housing discrimination.
The submission of the brief was co-signed by attorneys general from several states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, and others.