Let the federal government know you support housing protections for the LGBT community!

The Task Force and the Human Rights Campaign need you to take action today! Few issues are more fundamental to the well-being of individuals and a community than access to safe, secure housing; this is critically true for the LGBT community. “Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey” conducted by the Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality revealed that one in five respondents experienced homelessness because of their gender identity.

The federal government is proposing to protect LGBT people and families in housing programs and policies. It’s critically important that they hear from people like you to ensure that the proposed protections do as much as they possibly can to protect LGBT people and families.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is soliciting comments on a proposed regulation that explicitly prohibits housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  HUD needs to hear from you so that it knows the community is paying attention and so we can ensure the proposed rules are as effective as possible when implemented.

Here is what you can do:

1) Click on this link before 5 p.m. ET on Friday, March 25, to submit your comments for public record

2) Copy the text of the message below

3) Sign your name and add any personal stories about why housing discrimination is important from your perspective [Please note that your submission will be public information. Do not share any private information about yourself or others that should not be in the public domain.]

Thank you for HUD’s commitment to working toward fair housing for the LGBT community. The impact of housing discrimination on the LGBT community accounts for drastically higher instances of homelessness and lower homeownership rates in the LGBT community than in the general population. The problem of housing discrimination is even more pronounced for the transgender community, and non-discriminatory access to shelters is especially important.

Taxpayer dollars should not be used to discriminate against LGBT people and families. I support HUD’s proposed rule to protect LGBT people and families through HUD-funded programs including housing assistance, mortgages, and rental properties.

Creating strong protections for LGBT people in housing only goes so far though. HUD should also take steps to ensure that individuals know their rights under the proposed rule. I urge HUD to take steps that would make individuals know their rights and know how to seek assistance in when they experience discrimination.

Again, thank you for HUD’s leadership on this issue. Housing protections for the LGBT community are vitally important and this is an important step towards securing the right to fair and safe housing.

Sincerely,

Click here to submit your comments to HUD.