The Department of Housing and Urban Development said on Thursday that it was opening an investigation into housing policies in Boston, scrutinizing whether the city discriminated against white people.
In a letter to Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, Craig Trainor, the assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity, said the city government had prioritized people of color in its affordable housing strategy and encouraged banks and real estate developers to work with those communities, rather than all low-income households.
It was the latest example of the Trump administration’s push against diversity, equity and inclusion policies and rollback of civil rights protections meant to prevent discrimination against minorities.
“As you are aware, the Trump administration is dedicated to protecting the civil rights of all Americans. At your office’s direction, however, city officials have set out to smuggle ‘racial equity into every layer of operations in city government,’” Mr. Trainor said, quoting from the city’s website on racial justice initiatives.
Mr. Trainor said his office was investigating whether the city had violated federal laws against discrimination in housing sales or rentals based on race, sex or national origin. The inquiry’s findings could be used to file charges against the city, he wrote.
It would be the first investigation launched by the Trump administration of racial discrimination in a city’s housing practices under the Civil Rights Act, which the Education Department has used to pressure colleges and universities to end race-based admissions and scholarship programs or lose federal funding.
In September, two lawyers for HUD were removed from their positions after speaking out about cuts to the fair housing office that have stalled legal inquiries into civil rights violations in housing. Internal communications, memos and other documents reviewed by The New York Times showed efforts by the Trump administration to limit enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, the landmark civil rights law that has prohibited discrimination in housing for nearly six decades.
Ms. Wu, a progressive Democrat who has positioned herself as an opponent of the Trump administration, ran unopposed for a second term in November. Since the start of her first term in 2021, more than 5,000 affordable housing units were built in Boston, according to the city’s website.
A spokeswoman for the mayor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Francesca Regalado is a Times reporter covering breaking news.
The post HUD Accuses Boston of Racial Discrimination in Housing Policies appeared first on New York Times.
