HUD Secretary Halts Enforcement of Gender Identity Housing Rules
Scott Turner, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has issued an order to immediately stop the enforcement of significant housing regulations from the Obama administration that pertain to gender identity. Instead, he has directed the agency to manage programs based on biological sex.
This directive effectively halts the pending implementation of the 2016 Equal Access Rule, which had broadened the acceptance of officially recognized gender identities in federally funded housing programs and shelters. This change is especially impactful for shelters supporting women escaping domestic violence, aligning with President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at reinstating what his administration refers to as “biological truth” in federal government practices.
Turner emphasized, in his statement, “I am directing HUD officials to stop any pending or future enforcement actions related to HUD’s 2016 Equal Access Rule, which essentially associates HUD-funded housing options with far-left gender ideology.”
He elaborated on the agency’s mission set by Trump, indicating a focus on the idea that there are only two genders: male and female. Turner expressed a desire to eliminate government interference with, as he puts it, “what the Lord established from the beginning when He created humans in His image.”
Previously, a 2016 rule allowed individuals to self-identify their gender to access specific housing services, limiting shelters’ ability to challenge such identifications. Critics had argued that this requirement undermined the rights of female-only facilities, particularly those serving survivors of trauma and domestic violence.
Turner characterized this enforcement halt as the beginning of a broader evaluation of HUD policies and expenditures. “Furthermore, this is just the first of many examples of how HUD will get back to work for the American people and handle taxpayer dollars effectively from day one,” he mentioned. “There’s probably more where this came from.”
The Equal Access Rule was first established in 2012, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status in HUD-funded programs, with the 2016 update expanding these protections to explicitly recognize gender identity.
While Turner’s order doesn’t repeal the 2016 rule, it does pause its enforcement. He concluded, stating, “As I’ve said before, we will take stock of HUD’s programs to ensure that every dollar spent advances HUD’s mission: to provide high-quality, affordable housing to urban, rural, and tribal communities and foster economic investment for stronger communities and a more promising future for all Americans.”
