Housing Advocate: HUD is Not Standing Up to Housing Discrimination - YouTube

SOLEDAD: IT’S BEEN A CHAOTIC WEEK IN WASHINGTON TO SAY THE LEAST, AND WHILE THE LEGAL TROUBLES SURROUNDING THE PRESIDENT’S FORMER LAWYER AND RNC DEPUTY FINANCE CHAIR

MICHAEL: AND THE PRESIDENT’S FORMER CAMPAIGN MANAGER PAUL MANAFORT WAS CAPTURING THE SPOTLIGHT, IT’S EASY TO MISS SOME OF THE POLICY CHANGES THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS

IMPLEMENTING.

FOR EXAMPLE, HUD CHIEF DR. BEN CARSON GUTTED ON OBAMA ERA REGULATION DESIGNED T COMBAT DISSEMINATION IN HOUSING.

A COALITION OF HOUSING ADVOCATES SUED HUD.

LISA RICE WAS ONE OF THE LEAD PLAINTIFFS IN THE CASE.

SO NICE TO HAVE YOU WITH US.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE FAIR HOUSING ACT, WHICH WAS SIGNED IN 1968 INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT JOHNSON.

WHAT IS FAIR HOUSING?

MS. RICE: FAIR HOUSING SIMPLY MEANS THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE WHERE THEY WANT TO LIVE IN THEIR COMMUNITY OF CHOICE FREE FROM DISCRIMINATION.

SOLEDAD: YOU HAD HOPED THAT DR.

BEN CARSON WHO RUNS HUD WOULD CHALLENGE AND AGGRESSIVELY CHALLENGE HOUSING DISCRIMINATION.

HAS HE DONE THAT?

MS. RICE NOT WHEN IT COMES TO LIFTING UP AND ENFORCING A KEY PART OF THE FAIR HOUSING ACT, WHICH IS AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING.

SOLEDAD: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

MS. RICE: NO FEDERAL FUNDS CAN BE USED IN A WAY TO PROMOTE DISCRIMINATION, ENGAGE IN DISCRIMINATION, SUPPORT DISCRIMINATION, AND FEDERAL FUNDS SHOULD BE USED IN A WAY

THAT PROMOTE AND SUPPORTS INCLUSIVE, SAFE, DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS.

SOLEDAD: WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT IN THE WAKE OF THAT LAWSUIT BEING DISMISSED?

MS. RICE: IT ELIMINATED WHAT IS CALLED THE ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING TOOL, SO IT IS THE PART OF THE RULE THAT MUNICIPALITIES AND HOUSING AUTHORITIES CAN USE IN ORDER TO GO THROUGH A SERIES

OF QUESTIONS AND A SERIES OF STEPS TO FIRST IDENTIFY FAIR HOUSING ISSUES AND BARRIERS TO FAIR HOUSING, TO IDENTIFY WHERE DISCRIMINATION IS HAPPENING, AND THEN TO FORMULATE A SERIES OF

STEPS TO CURE THOSE DISCRIMINATORY ACTIONS.

SOLEDAD: BY REMOVING THAT, YOU REMOVE THE ESSENCE OF HOW TO FIGURE OUT SOMEONE BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.

MS. RICE: EXACTLY.

SOLEDAD: WHAT DO YOU THINK T ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IS IN HOUSING DISCRIMINATION?

WE KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT FACEBOOK -- THEY HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF ENABLING HOUSING DISCRIMINATION BECAUSE YOU C DETERMINE WHO YOU WANT TO LIVE IN YOUR HOUSE WITH, AND YOU CAN

MAKE SURE PEOPLE ACTUALLY SEE THAT LISTING.

MS. RICE: WITH ENTITIES LIKE FACEBOOK, THEY HAVE CREATED A MODERN-DAY HIGH TECH SYSTEM OF RESTRICTED COVENANTS.

SOLEDAD: BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE ADVERTISING TOOLS THAT CAN LIMIT WHO CAN SEE SOME OF THESE HOUSES POSTED FOR SALE.

MS. RICE: EXACTLY.

NOT ONLY DOES THE TO A LIMIT WHO CAN SEE, BUT IF YOU ARE A HOUSING PROVIDER AND YOU HAD NO INTENTION OF DISCRIMINATING, NO INTENTION OF LIMITING WHO CAN SEE YOUR HOUSING AD, FACEBOOK

ACTUALLY ASKS YOU, DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS?

DO YOU WANT TO LIMIT WHO CAN SEE YOUR HOUSING ADDED?

SOLEDAD: AREUD AND THE FAIR HOUSING AUTHORITY ON THE SAME SIDE IN THIS DEBATE WHEN IT COMES TO LOOKING AT HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS PLAYING A ROLE IN ADVANCING HOUSING

DISCRIMINATION?

MS. RICE: WE ARE NOW.

INITIALLY, SECRETARY CARSON DISMISSED THE COMPLAINT AGAINST FACEBOOK, AND RECENTLY, AS YOU SAW, THE SECRETARY ISSUED A CHARGE AGAIN FACEBOOK.

WE ARE ON THE SAME SIDE ON THIS TECHNOLOGY MATTER.

LISA RICE ITS SO NICE TO HAVE YOU. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.

SOLEDAD THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME

YOU BET