Bennet, Booker, Warnock, Van Hollen, Colleagues Demand HUD Reverse Changes Gutting Fair Housing Program

About About Michael Legislation News Press Releases Social Media Newsletter Archive Services Priorities Top Issues Child Tax Credit Investing in Colorado Contact Map Español Acerca de Michael Escribe a Michael Prioridades Servicios Visitando D.C. Bennet, Booker, Warnock, Van Hollen, Colleagues Demand HUD Reverse Changes Gutting Fair Housing Program Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and 28 Senate colleagues to demand the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rescind a series of proposed changes that would fundamentally undermine implementation of the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), which funds nonprofit […] Sep 8, 2026 | Press Releases Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and 28 Senate colleagues to demand the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rescind a series of proposed changes that would fundamentally undermine implementation of the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), which funds nonprofit organizations on the front lines of combating housing discrimination and enforcing fair housing protections nationwide. In their letter to HUD Secretary Scott Turner, the senators warned that HUD’s Fiscal Year 2025 and Fiscal Year 2026 funding notices threaten to strip funding from organizations that handle more than 74 percent of housing discrimination complaints in the country. The senators blasted the new funding notices for bypassing the intent of Congress and fundamentally reshaping the program. The changes lock out experienced fair housing organizations, prioritize first-time applicants over groups with proven track records, and abandon organizations that have protected Americans from discrimination for decades. “Dedicated local fair housing organizations, functioning on small budgets, provide an indispensable service for so many Americans: disabled veterans who require reasonable accommodations in housing, seniors and people with disabilities who need accessible housing, families with children turned away illegally from renting a home, women who are experiencing sexual harassment from landlords, survivors of domestic violence who have been improperly evicted, and victims of racial and other forms of unlawful discrimination,” wrote the senators . The senators noted that this latest move is part of a pattern: the Trump administration has repeatedly tried to dismantle fair housing protections, including failed attempts to terminate FHIP grants and proposing to eliminate the program’s funding altogether, despite strong bipartisan support in Congress. The senators called on Secretary Turner to immediately rescind and reissue the FY25 and FY26 FHIP funding notices in line with federal law and longstanding program standards. They also demanded HUD turn over information by August 10, 2026 on how the new funding process was developed and implemented, including internal analyses, communications with potential recipients, and any future changes planned for fair housing policy. In addition to Bennet, Booker, Warnock, and Van Hollen, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Angela D. Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Ore.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) signed the letter. In December 2025, Bennet introduced the More Homes on the Market Act, a bill to make housing more available and affordable by incentivizing homeowners to sell their homes and increasing market supply. In November 2025, Bennet urged Secretary Turner to immediately halt reported plans to make drastic changes to the Continuum of Care program, which could result in nearly 200,000 Americans being forced out of their housing and back into homelessness. In August 2025, Bennet demanded answers from Secretary Turner on cuts to agency staff and the lease termination of the HUD Denver Regional Office. The text of the letter is available HERE and below. Dear Secretary Turner: We write to express deep concerns regarding recent actions by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) that would undermine the implementation of the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP). On July 2, 2026, HUD proposed a series of sweeping changes that if fully implemented, could shutter