National Fair Housing Alliance and Long Island Housing Services Applaud Court Decision Halting HUD’s and DOGE’s Termination of Grants to Fight Housing Discrimination

Urgent: Additional Action Still Needed to Stop Loss of Long Island Fair Housing Funding!

Today, following a hearing, Judge Richard G. Stearns of the U.S. District Court in the District of Massachusetts granted a temporary injunction stopping the termination of 78 Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) grants to fight housing discrimination, which includes a grant that Long Island Housing Services (LIHS)  had received and was doing work under. These grants were abruptly terminated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at the behest of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

In response, Lisa Rice, President and CEO, National Fair Housing Alliance® (NFHA™) released the following statement:

“We are grateful for today’s decision granting a temporary restraining order, halting DOGE’s wrongful and unlawful termination of FHIP grants to fight housing discrimination. The action DOGE directed is endangering everyday people while empowering wealthy landlords and others to discriminate. Fair housing organizations are on the front lines of efforts to combat housing discrimination through enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. Without their efforts, survivors of sexual harassment in housing; veterans with disabilities requiring accessible housing; and people of color seeking to buy a home free of racial harassment, and families with children would have no protection or anywhere to turn to uphold the law. The Trump Administration’s abrupt elimination of funding threatens drastic consequences for more than 75 fair housing groups around the country and creates fear, chaos, insecurity, and dysfunction in an already fragile housing market. FHIP grants, which are authorized by Congress and receive annual appropriations, have been provided for decades under administrations of both parties and are key to the nation’s ability to enforce the Fair Housing Act and ensure equal access to housing.”

“At Long Island Housing Services, we are grateful for this temporary order from the court, but we still need to have a permanent resolution of this matter,” said Ian Wilder, Executive Director of Long Island Housing Services, Inc. “The court’s action today should make clear to our federal elected representatives that they need to publicly stand against the abrupt and unlawful termination of grants essential for combating housing discrimination.”

“These resources are critical for supporting our neighbors. If this cancellation of our contract is allowed to stand, Long Island could lose $1 million in fair housing services over the next three years. This disruption not only threatens decades of progress but also jeopardizes the very fabric of our community. Nonprofits like ours are the backbone of fair housing services in this country; losing this funding would have devastating consequences. The lack of these vital resources means increased housing insecurity for Long Islanders at a time when we are already facing a catastrophic housing crisis.”

The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) is the country’s only national civil rights organization dedicated solely to eliminating all forms of housing and lending discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities for all people. As the trade association for over 170 fair housing and justice-centered organizations and individuals throughout the U.S. and its territories, NFHA works to dismantle longstanding barriers to equity and build diverse, inclusive, well-resourced communities.