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HUD Opens Civil Rights Investigation Into Boston’s Housing Policies Over Alleged Race-Based Preferences

HUD cites city plans that set a 65% BIPOC target for some homeownership programs, with a records request due within 10 days.

Overview

  • HUD’s fair housing office notified Mayor Michelle Wu in a six-page letter that it has opened the case under the Fair Housing Act and Title VI, in what outlets report as the administration’s first city-level fair-housing probe.
  • Investigators allege Boston prioritized Black and Latino residents in its housing strategy and encouraged lenders and developers to concentrate assistance on those communities.
  • The letter cites the Boston Housing Strategy 2025, the Assessment of Fair Housing, the Anti-Displacement Action Plan, and programs including Welcome Home Boston.
  • HUD Secretary Scott Turner labeled the approach a “social engineering project” and said the department could bring charges or refer the matter to the Justice Department.
  • Boston responded that the claims are “unhinged attacks from Washington” and vowed to defend the city’s fair and affordable housing policies.