Policy Changes Slow In Coming In HUD Anti-Discrimination Campaign

[The Philosopher]

from Equality Matters

The Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/04/13/hud-campaign-raises-housing-non-discrimination-awareness/">announced yesterday that it would be starting a campaign to raise LGBT awareness about services related to housing discrimination:

The campaign, titled “Live Free,” kicked off last week and will run throughout 2011. The initiative includes Facebook ads, targeted print ads, digital videos, and podcasts. For example, one print ad reads “Should Gender Stereotypes Influence Where Your live? Learn More.”

But critical details about the campaign were scarce. John Trasviña, HUD’s assistant secretary for housing and equal opportunity, was unable to provide particulars about the scope, location, or cost of the campaign, citing uncertainty about the budget for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The Live Free campaign is being launched as HUD works to finalize a rule that could provide some recourse to LGBT people who experience housing discrimination:

HUD is in the process of implementation (of) a proposed rule to ensure that HUD housing and programs are open to all, irrespective of marital status, gender identity, and sexual orientation. The proposed rule doesn’t apply to private housing, but HUD housing and programs.

The 60-day comment period for the proposed rule, which was announced in late January, ended on March 25. Trasviña said HUD has been examining the more than 300 comments it received during this period and said they were “overwhelming(ly) positive.”

(…)

Trasviña said the rule would be made final by the end of the year, but said he couldn’t give a more definite particular date.

The rule-change process highlights one of the drawbacks of relying on piecemeal, individual agency procedures to advance LGBT equality. Rather than relying on agency heads to do the heavy lifting on policy changes, President Obama should take the lead in implementing pro-LGBT executive actions.

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