Advocacy
Trump Administration's Proposed Rule Uses Religion to Limit Access to Federal Housing
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This week, Interfaith Alliance submitted a formal comment opposing the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) proposed rule revision to the Equal Access Rule. The proposed rule would eliminate the longstanding nondiscrimination protections for transgender and gender nonbinary people seeking access to federally funded housing and emergency shelter.
The department claims the current Equal Access Rule places an unacceptable burden on faith-based providers. However, this claim is not supported by the evidence. The current rule is religiously neutral and applies to all federally funded providers regardless of faith affiliation, and the rule has never generated a formal complaint or waiver request from a faith-based provider.
Invoking religious freedom to justify discrimination is the opposite of religious freedom.
Interfaith Alliance urges HUD to withdraw this proposed rule and reaffirm its commitment to ensuring that federally funded housing programs are truly open to all. You can read our full comment here.
Transcript
Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act Introduced in the House
This legislation would repeal the federal tax credit voucher program included in H.R.1, an unprecedented program passed into law last year that will redirect federal taxpayer dollars to private and often religious schools, blurring the critical line between church and state.
Faith Communities Stand Up for Inclusive Public Schools
On June 10, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing on K-12 education, calling before them superintendents from school districts across the country. Ahead of the hearing, Interfaith Alliance helped organize a coalition of faith-based and interfaith organizations to submit a letter to the committee in support of inclusive public education. Thanks to Rep. Lucy McBath, that letter was entered into the congressional record.