The move comes after the Free Beacon reported that Multnomah County prioritizes minorities for housing, offers ‘culturally specific’ apartments for ‘BIPOC community’
The Department of Housing and Urban Development on Friday launched an investigation into Multnomah County, Oregon, over the county’s race-based homelessness programs, writing in a letter to county officials that the programs likely violate the Fair Housing Act.
The move comes after the Washington Free Beacon reported that Multnomah County, which includes most of Portland, awards more points for “requesting culturally responsive services” than for being “homeless 12+ months” in its allocation scheme for housing services. Individuals must reach a certain cutoff on the points-based index in order to qualify for supportive housing.
The county also sets aside “culturally specific” apartments for the “BIPOC community,” part of a broader package of race-conscious programs that cost taxpayers hundreds of millions every year, the Free Beacon reported.
“As a result of its failed progressive policies, Multnomah County has one of the worst homelessness crises in America,” said HUD secretary Scott Turner. “But rather than address this crisis in a fair and clear-eyed manner, the County scapegoats its most vulnerable residents and doles out housing support on the basis of race. No government benefit should be distributed based on race. HUD will enforce the Fair Housing Act.”
The investigation is the third legal action against Multnomah County’s Homeless Services Department, which is facing a separate probe from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division as well as a lawsuit by a disabled woman, Michele Mei, who was denied rent relief thanks to her low score on the county’s race-based prioritization index. “Has a disability” counts for just one point on the index. “Interest in culturally specific services” and “English as a second language” each count for two.
“Under this reported rubric, the County’s points-based system prioritizes race over need,” HUD’s letter to the county reads. “Local housing providers reflect the County’s priorities by offering apartments segregated by race or national origin.”
The county plans to spend more than $200 million on race-conscious housing programs over the next fiscal year, including a street outreach initiative that aims to refer “BIPOC” people to homeless shelters “at rates as high or higher than non-Hispanic whites.” The proposed budget, which will be finalized next week, also includes more than $36 million for “culturally-specific supportive housing for Native American, Black/African American, Latin/x, Somali and immigrant and refugee populations.”
Though the county has claimed that anyone can request its “culturally specific” housing, the Fair Housing Act prohibits advertisements that indicate “any preference” based on race. And the county’s own summary of its prioritization scheme says the system is “designed to prioritize … BIPOC households.”
“Multnomah County’s arbitrary distinctions between its homeless residents on the basis of race and national origin are fundamentally incompatible with a nation founded on the principle of equality,” said Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor. “The Trump Administration has zero tolerance for unlawful discrimination, and my office eagerly awaits the County’s explanation of how making race a factor in access to supportive housing can be squared with the Fair Housing Act.”
Multnomah County did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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