HUD Claims Houston is in Violation of the Civil Rights Act

HOUSTON, TX — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development claims that Houston is in violation of the Civil Rights Act.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the department laid out the charges in a 14-page letter sent on Wednesday to Mayor Sylvester Turner's office and faults the city for "blocking and deterring affordable housing proposals in integrated neighborhoods." HUD is also requiring Houston to take actions to correct the situation.

According to the Chronicle article, "The city's refusal to issue a resolution of no objection for Fountain View was motivated either in whole or in part by the race, color, or national origin of the likely tenants," Garry Sweeny, director of HUD's Fort Worth's regional office of fair housing and equal opportunity, wrote in a letter to Turner. "More generally, the department finds that the city's procedures for approving Low-Income Housing Tax Credit applications are influenced by racially motivated opposition to affordable housing and perpetuate segregation."

The charges involve a $53 million mixed-income and subsidized housing development near the Galleria area that Turner blocked, citing costs and other concerns.

— Image of HUD Secretary Julian Castro courtesy Flickr/Ed Ritger