Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson was personally involved in removing language from the HUD mission statement that promises all Americans "inclusive communities" that are "free from discrimination," HuffPost reports.
Under former President Barack Obama, the mission statement read:
HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities, and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business.
The new mission statement reads:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
HUD's mission is to ensure Americans have access to fair, affordable housing, and opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency, thereby strengthening our communities and nation.
HUD's assistant secretary for public affairs, Amy Thompson, told HuffPost that the changes were made "in an effort to align HUD's mission with the secretary's priorities and that of the administration" and that the department is accepting feedback from staff. It is fairly common for mission statements to be changed, especially under new administrations, but Carson's modifications will no doubt worry some because of actions HUD has already taken, including removing training materials that help ensure transgender people receive equal access to homeless shelters.
Carson has previously criticized Obama's fair housing laws. "These attempts to legislate racial equality create consequences that often make matters worse," he argued in 2015. "There are reasonable ways to use housing policy to enhance the opportunities available to lower-income citizens, but based on the history of failed socialist experiments in this country, entrusting the government to get it right can prove downright dangerous."
-
Quiz of The Week: 16 – 22 AugustQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Can Soho House get its edge back?Talking Point The private members' club has lost its exclusive appeal – but a £2 billion buy-out could offer a fresh start
-
The week's best photosIn Pictures A human pyramid, a church on wheels, and more
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
