Mohave Today

Representative Paul Gosar has reintroduced legislation aimed at terminating the 2021 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, which he describes as a costly regulation from the Obama-Biden era. The announcement was made in Washington, D.C., with Gosar expressing his concerns over federal overreach in local zoning decisions.

Gosar criticized the housing regulations initially imposed by former President Barack Obama and later reinstated by President Joe Biden. He argued that these rules have pressured communities into relinquishing control over local zoning while increasing affordable housing costs. "By rejecting this intrusive Washington, D.C. mandate, my legislation codifies into law the recent decision by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to repeal the onerous Obama-Biden rules," stated Congressman Gosar.

He further emphasized that housing decisions should be made locally rather than by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., who are unfamiliar with local areas like Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

The Fair Housing Act (FHA), part of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, prohibits discrimination in housing based on several factors and requires federal entities to promote fair housing actively. In 2015, under Obama's administration, the AFFH rule expanded federal involvement in local zoning through increased certification processes and analysis requirements.

In June 2015, Gosar successfully passed an amendment to defund this regulation in the House of Representatives. However, after being terminated during Trump's presidency for being "costly, complicated, and ineffective," key elements of the AFFH rule were reinstated by Biden's administration in 2021.