Attorney General Charity Clark, along with 20 other state attorneys general, has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The brief supports fair housing organizations appealing a previous decision that removed a temporary restraining order. This order had prevented the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from cutting off grant funding to these organizations.
The Fair Housing Initiative Program (FHIP) was created by Congress to fund nonprofit groups that work against discriminatory housing practices. According to the attorneys' brief, in February 2025, HUD cancelled 78 FHIP grants to housing organizations across 33 states without prior notice, despite being legally required to provide such funding.
A lawsuit was filed by 66 nonprofit fair housing groups against HUD in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts. On March 26, the court issued a temporary restraining order that restored the organizations' funding. However, following a separate interim ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on grant funding, HUD moved to dissolve the restraining order, a request granted by the District Court on April 14.
The attorneys general argue that reinstating the temporary restraining order is justified, as the plaintiffs are likely to win their lawsuit. They also contend that HUD’s withdrawal of funding will disrupt essential efforts to combat housing discrimination, affecting numerous states and their residents.
Joining Attorney General Clark in filing the brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.