Reinstatement of HUD's Discriminatory Effects Standard

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of dwellings and in other housing-related activities. This prohibition extends to practices with an unjustified discriminatory effect, regardless of whether there was an intent to discriminate. In 2013, HUD published a rule which formalized a burden- shifting test for determining whether a given practice has an unjustified discriminatory effect. In 2020, HUD published a rule that would have altered the standards set forth in the 2013 rule. However, a preliminary injunction prevented the 2020 rule from ever going into effect. On June 25, 2021, HUD published a proposed rule to recodify the 2013 rule. After considering public comments, HUD in this final rule reinstates and maintains the 2013 rule and rescinds the 2020 rule.