Rhode Island Joins Coalition Challenging HUD's Attack On Fair Housing Laws: AG

Rhode Island joined a coalition of states filing a lawsuit challenging unlawful actions by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, including threats to withhold funding from state and local fair housing enforcement agencies for abiding by state laws and threats to impose illegal conditions on HUD funding, the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office said.

“This Administration is nothing if not consistent in its attempts to make life much harder for the vast majority of Americans,” Attorney General Peter F. Neronha said in a media release.

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“For decades, HUD has worked in tandem with state agencies to root out discriminatory housing practices," Neronha said.

"We know this President isn’t guided by morality but by perceived political expedience," he said. "Even so, it’s hard to wrap one’s mind around why he thinks making it harder for Americans to obtain housing would fit into that category. HUD’s new guidance ignores the states’ right to enact laws that make sense for its residents, and unlawfully attempts to hold hostage federal funding from those who don’t capitulate. There are few things more important than housing, and we will fight to make sure these longstanding protections stay intact.”

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In September 2025, HUD issued guidance threatening to decertify Fair Housing Assistance Program state agencies from the program and cut off funding unless they stop enforcing protections against housing discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, language, criminal records and source of income, according to the release.

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"The guidance also bars agencies from pursuing claims targeting housing practices that may appear neutral but are discriminatory and have a disparate impact on certain populations," the release said. "In Rhode Island and many other states, these fair housing protections are enshrined in state law."

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Along with Neronha, the attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia are involved in the lawsuit, according to the release.

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