Project 2025: How It Will Increase Housing Discrimination and Why It Matters for Black Families
Housing discrimination has long been a barrier for Black families in the U.S. And if Project 2025 is fully implemented under a potential second Donald Trump presidency, that barrier is set to become even more formidable. Today, we’ll break down how this initiative threatens progress made in fair housing, what it means for African-American families, and why it’s more urgent than ever to stay informed and active on this critical issue.
Project 2025 is poised to undo pivotal protections for fair housing put in place by previous administrations, especially during President Obama’s tenure. These changes will hit Black families the hardest, deepening the systemic racism that has already held back generations. But before diving into that, let’s take a look at why housing matters so much in the Black community.
Wealth Is Tied To Homeownership, Especially for Black Families
For many African-American families, home equity is the primary source of wealth. Unlike white or Asian households, which tend to have diversified financial portfolios—stocks, mutual funds, rental properties—the average Black family’s financial security is deeply tied to their home. This was made painfully evident during the 2008 financial crisis when Black homeowners were disproportionately affected by foreclosures. The loss of home equity not only led to losing homes but wiped out wealth that could have been passed down to future generations.
Housing isn’t just about shelter—it’s also about the ability to build long-term wealth. Without homeownership, Black families often can’t pay off debt, invest in their children’s education, or start businesses. This is why housing discrimination isn’t just about where someone lives; it’s about whether someone can achieve the American Dream.
How Housing Policy Has Worked Against Black Americans
Discriminatory housing practices weren’t just societal; they were baked into government policy. Between 1934 and 1962, people of color received only 2% of government-backed mortgages. Entire Black communities were essentially barred from homeownership, while white families were given easy access to affordable housing in areas with better schools, more resources, and the chance to build generational wealth.
This exclusion had ripple effects. By not being allowed into these wealth-building opportunities, Black families were denied the chance to set up their kids for success. Think about it: if your parents don’t own a house, they don’t have home equity to help pay for college, avoid student loans, or invest in family initiatives. Generation after generation, this leaves Black families at a significant economic disadvantage.
Enter The Fair Housing Act
In response to this rampant discrimination, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) was passed in 1968, just days after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. This law prohibited the discrimination in buying, selling, or renting homes based on race, gender, and other factors. But it wasn’t just about making discrimination illegal. The law also tasked HUD (Housing and Urban Development) with an “affirmative duty” to promote fair housing. This meant that HUD wasn’t supposed to sit back and wait for complaints; they were expected to actively seek out and destroy discriminatory housing practices.
And that’s where the real power of the FHA came from: actively promoting fair housing, not just passively reacting when bad things happened. HUD was obligated to find patterns of discrimination, not simply wait for someone to file a complaint. This proactive approach was key to ensuring that the rule wasn’t just symbolic but actually had teeth.
The Obama Administration Strengthened the FHA
Fast forward to 2015, and the Obama administration took a significant step to further this affirmative duty. They introduced a rule that required local governments and public housing agencies benefiting from federal funding to identify and address barriers to fair housing. In other words, if you were receiving money from HUD, you had to show what you were doing to combat housing discrimination. This was a big deal because it put pressure on recipients of federal housing dollars to actually prove they were doing the work. Obama’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule wasn’t just lofty language; it was direct action.
Let’s be clear: This rule was a form of equity. It leveled the playing field for long-excluded communities, ensuring they had better access to affordable housing. Obama’s move countered the myth that he didn’t do anything significant for Black Americans. In fact, this rule, along with others, was aimed specifically at addressing systemic barriers that have long oppressed Black communities.
Trump and Ben Carson: The Dismantling of Progress
Unfortunately, things changed drastically during Donald Trump’s presidency. Trump, who was personally sued for housing discrimination in the 1970s, appointed Ben Carson as the head of HUD. Their first priority? Gutting Obama’s AFFH rule. Carson, surprisingly a Black man himself, played a key role in dismantling one of the few policies specifically designed to help Black families combat housing discrimination.
Trump went further, tweeting in 2020, “I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low-income housing built in your neighborhood.” Read between the lines, and the message was clear: I’ve made sure Black low-income families won’t be moving into your predominantly white suburbs. The notion that Black people would bring crime or decrease property values is a racist stereotype, and Trump knew exactly what he was doing with that dog-whistle of a message.
Biden’s Attempt to Bring Back Fair Housing Rules
After four years of backsliding, Joe Biden attempted to reimplement the AFFH rule after his election. However, while Biden has moved to restore some of these protections, it hasn’t been fully rolled out, and civil rights leaders are still pushing him to finish the job. Why the delay? Some believe Biden may be waiting for political conditions to be more favorable, especially with the GOP-dominated Congress fighting tooth and nail to keep him from reinstating the rule.
In fact, the GOP’s ongoing work to block this rule is clear in their own words. A July 2023 legislative document states that enforcing the AFFH rule would “put a severe regulatory burden on small and medium-sized municipalities, public housing authorities, and other entities,” all while mockingly putting “Equity plans” in quotation marks, a clear dig at efforts aimed at leveling the playing field for marginalized communities.
Project 2025: A Step Backwards for Housing Equality
Even if Biden manages to reinstate these protections before his term ends, Project 2025 is ready to tear them down on day one. This comprehensive “plan” spearheaded by Trump’s policymakers, including Ben Carson, is aimed at stripping down federal agencies like HUD and undoing any work done by the Biden administration to advance housing equity.
The initiative is clear in its goals. Replace career officials at HUD with Trump loyalists. Repeal the AFFH rule so housing discrimination can flourish unchecked. Carson’s direct words in the Project 2025 framework express this intention: to gut any progressive ideology regarding housing, particularly the work done to address systemic discrimination.
What’s At Stake for Black Families
Housing discrimination has plagued Black families for centuries, and much of that discrimination was government-endorsed. Even after progress in the 1960s, new barriers continue to sprout. For Black families, homeownership isn’t just about a place to live. It’s their opportunity to build long-term wealth, create safety nets, and send their children to college.
Project 2025 plans to upend any last bit of progress. If this initiative moves forward, the fight to live in any neighborhood—not just low-income areas—becomes much more difficult for Black families. Every rule that stands between a Black family and a chance at achieving the American Dream is yet another step backward in the ongoing fight for equality.
Project 2025 is not just an abstract political initiative. It’s a real and present danger to the lives of Black families across the United States. If Donald Trump is reelected, and Project 2025 is put into motion, the housing discrimination battle will only intensify, undoing decades of hard-fought progress. As we near upcoming elections and political battles, it’s vital to be more engaged than ever.
The stakes are too high to sit this one out. Protecting fair housing protections is about more than just where someone lives. It’s about creating a future in which all families, regardless of the color of their skin, have the opportunity to thrive.
