Last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a final rule under the Fair Housing Act to offer greater protections for victims of sexual and other forms of harassment in housing. The rule formalizes the legal standards HUD will use to assess and investigate claims of harassment, which often threaten a person's safety and leave them at risk of eviction and homelessness.
HUD also issued guidance on "nuisance ordinances" that can lead to housing discrimination and evictions against survivors of domestic violence. The guidance describes how HUD will assess nuisance or crime-free housing ordinances, policies, or practices alleged to be discriminatory under the Fair Housing Act.