The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released its first Equity Action Plan.
“Equity is central to HUD’s founding principles and the daily work we do as a department,” HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said in a release. “We are excited to take this opportunity to join the rest of the federal government in emphasizing our commitment to making equity a leading compass within this administration.”
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 13985 on “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,” directing the federal government to pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all. In response to the president’s directive, HUD began a department-wide plan, which included actions to reduce the racial homeownership gap and center equity in the delivery of services to people experiencing homelessness.
HUD said the decision to focus on homeownership reflected several priorities--such as the need to address a history of racial discrimination in federal programs, the Federal Housing Administration’s role in supporting homeownership for first-time buyers, and the importance of homeownership for wealth building amongst all communities.
The department is also focusing on advancing equity in its delivery of homelessness assistance programs.
The plan emphasizes how homelessness is experienced in cities, suburbs, rural areas and tribal lands; across races and ethnicities; by individuals and families; young and old; male, female, transgender and gender non-conforming. Even within homeless populations, some groups are less likely to have safe access to homeless shelters, and some are likely to experience homelessness for more extended periods.
“HUD’s Equity Action Plan is one of many steps HUD has taken to reiterate its commitment to advancing equity for all communities across the nation,” the agency stated. “The Equity Action plan, completed in collaboration with the White House, provided an opportunity to dive into a handful of areas that contributed to the agency’s work on the strategic plan, which has equity as an underlining principle.”
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