Explainers New AFFH Rules: What You Need to Know

What Is Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing?

Shelterforce has put together a short video to explain what "Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing," or AFFH, means, and the history of its enforcement.

This article is part of the Under the Lens series

New AFFH Rules: What You Need to Know

What’s the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing provision? How has it been enforced in the past? And what do fair housing advocates think of the Biden Administration's proposed changes?

In 1968, Congress passed the Fair Housing Act, which outlawed discrimination in housing. The act also required federal agencies (and anyone getting funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) to “Affirmatively Further Fair Housing.” In other words, they must dismantle the effects of past discrimination, not merely prevent future discrimination.

This video is part of Shelterforce’s latest series, “New AFFH Rules: What You Need to Know.” 

Editor’s note: As of April 6, the comment period for the proposed new AFFH rule has been extended. Comments should be received on or before April 24.

Other Articles in this Series

New AFFH Rules: What You Need to Know

  • Public Housing Must Be a Part of Fair Housing Planning

    March 21, 2023

    Because their programs provide the most deeply affordable housing in the country, public housing authorities should be both supported in improving fair housing outcomes and held to account when they fall short.

  • A colorful scene showing many kinds of houses including some that look like flying saucers. The residents include animals and aliens. In the foreground, a group of people and animals hold up a banner proclaiming "Neighborhoods are for everyone!"

    Why Oregon Created Its Own AFFH Rule

    March 20, 2023

    For more than a decade, fair housing advocates in the Beaver State had been looking for ways to connect housing and land use planning to promote the affirmatively furthering fair housing rule. Here’s how Oregon created its own state-level policy, and what’s to come.

  • A black and white photo of seven people protesting racial discrimination in housing on a street corner, as a 1950s-era Buick drives past. The signs read "Stop racial discrimination now!"; "I support open housing"; "Don't patronize picture floor plans"; and a hand-lettered sign says "There can be no innocent bystanders." Most of the people in the photo are people of color; two are hidden by their signs.

    AFFH’s Bumpy Road to Overcoming Segregation

    March 14, 2023

    The Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule was intended to force communities to take action to address housing segregation and discrimination. How has the rule evolved throughout the years, and will a proposed new rule finally put some teeth into the legal concept?