Call for Submissions: Rutgers Race and the Law Review - Volume 28, 2026-2027

Hi, we would be interested! You can email the abstract to racelawreview@gmail.com.

Fair Housing Policy in the Age of Trump Charles M. Lamb Research Professor Department of Political Science University at Buffalo, SUNY Buffalo, NY 14260 clamb@buffalo.edu Former Equal Opportunity Specialist and Fair Housing Monitor, Office of Federal Civil Rights Enforcement, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Washington, D.C. Abstract The United States is experiencing a dangerous assault on equal housing opportunity during President Donald Trump’s second administration. This attack, astonishing by any measure, began in Trump’s initial term in the White House and could ultimately reverse much of the fragile and erratic fair housing progress made over the past five decades. This article, which presents a preliminary analysis of Trump’s offense against fair housing law and policy, proceeds as follows. Part I provides a background to the study. Part II investigates fair housing law and policy developments during Trump 1.0. Part III explores in greater detail how the second Trump administration has attacked HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, razed DEI and HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing policy, and slashed HUD’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program. The concluding section argues that due to Trump, things have gone from generally bad to much worse in the field of equal housing opportunity, because the Fair Housing Act of 1968 is of considerable potential to combat residential discrimination and segregation in the United States, if effectively and efficiently enforced. As things now stand, that potential is dramatically eroded by the policies and practices imposed by Trump’s second administration. P.S. I currently have a working draft that I can pass along if you are still interested. Although a bit more work is needed, it will be ready for your Spring 2027 issue.