Trump Admin Says It’s Clearing the ‘Biden Backlog’ of Fair Housing Complaints, But Activists Disagree

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says it's chipping away at the nation's backlog of Fair Housing complaints. But not all fair housing groups agree with its methods.

The FHA said this week it has reduced the backlog of pending Title VIII complaints by 46%. The data, which came with few specifics, follows a jump in complaints reported in 2024, when the National Fair Housing Alliance reported 33,000 claims of discrimination, 5.74% more than in the previous year.

But the NFHA also criticized HUD's data at a time when it has both slashed its budget for Fair Housing enforcement and cut staff in that department. HUD, though, noted that it has for years struggled to quickly address complaints.

A 2024 report from its Office of Inspector General found it failed to close 70% of its 2020 to 2022 investigations within 100 days, as is required by the Fair Housing Act. That investigation found limited staffing, complexity of case work and uncooperative parties draw out investigations.

Nonetheless, HUD claimed it "inherited an inefficient case system from the Biden administration that delayed or politicized investigations and enforcement actions"

“HUD is efficiently delivering relief for victims of housing discrimination while clearing out the indefensible case backlog left behind by the Biden administration,” Secretary Scott Turner said. “Together, these charges show the Department’s unrelenting efforts to protect and enforce the civil rights of all Americans.”

Fair Housing questions

In a statement, NHFA Executive Vice President Nikitra Bailey said HUD "does little to paint the full picture of housing discrimination in this country."

HUD charged 47 cases in 2023 and 31 cases in 2024 under the Biden administration. But NHFA said the staffing cuts it's undertaken since then have hobbled its enforcement.

"At the same time, HUD has broken a long record of transparency by refusing to share public data on housing discrimination complaints received by HUD and local and state government agencies receiving funds from the Fair Housing Assistance Program in 2025," Bailey said.

NHFA and several other fair housing groups sued HUD earlier this year. They claim HUD is changing how it awards funding in ways that disqualify many existing fair housing groups. They also claim that changes make it more difficult for them to pursue claims. The suit is ongoing.

"FHEO was already insufficiently staffed before HUD’s devastating cuts," Bailey continued. "Increased support is needed to enable FHEO to effectively provide oversight of HUD’s crucial fair housing programs, provide technical assistance to HUD grantees, investigate claims of housing discrimination in a timely manner, and draft policies to fulfill the Fair Housing Act." 

In its release, HUD announced nine charges of discrimination in the past six months. Those include several cases involving disability or familial status discrimination. There's also one involving sexual harassment. It settled another disability discrimination complaint requiring a $110,000 payout to the complainant.

HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor calls criticism of the administration's enforcement efforts “left-wing hysteria and partisan accusations divorced from reality."

"The Department’s record is clear," Trainor said. "We are vigorously enforcing the Fair Housing Act to protect all Americans from invidious discrimination, and we will continue to do so without exception."