Nonprofit explains how, as federal rollbacks leave gaps in enforcement, Oregon is adding protections for equal housing access — plus, how to report housing discrimination

By Sydney Seymour, Ashland.news

The current administration’s policy changes have diminished enforcement of fair housing rules, according to a state nonprofit and a 2025 national trends report. In response to slackening of federal fair housing rights, Oregon, like some other states, has added its own protections.

Fair Housing Council of Oregon (FHCO) Education and Outreach Assistant Director for Southern Oregon Jamie Gatewood explained to Ashland.news what federal and state changes mean, specifically for minority groups and those living in rural areas. 

FHCO aims to ensure equal access to housing and end illegal housing discrimination. Part of a larger coalition called the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), the state nonprofit formed in 1990 advocates for individuals experiencing illegal housing discrimination and educates Oregonians about housing rights. 

Recent changes have caused confusion about whether federal or state housing laws apply, Gatewood said.

“For the most part, whichever housing law provides more protections is the one to follow, and Oregon adds a lot of protections,” Gatewood told Ashland.news in a Zoom call.  

The Fair Housing Act of 1968, born out of the Civil Rights Movement, made it illegal for housing providers (landlords, realtors, mortgage lenders, etc. ) to treat clients differently because of their identity. Gatewood said, “Fair housing is for everyone. We all probably fall into one of these groups that’s protected.” 

The federally protected classes in fair housing are race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability and familial status. Oregon state rules cover all the federally protected classes, plus marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and source of income (which includes individuals using rental assistance) — meaning discrimination on the basis of any of the aforementioned classes in housing is illegal in Oregon. 

‘Executive order after executive order’ puts fair housing at risk for all

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fair housing office — the federal agency administering the Fair Housing Act — has recently secured millions of dollars in relief for victims and driven reforms across housing providers and local governments, according to ProPublica.

Federal fair housing laws, however, have been in jeopardy since the first day of the second Trump administration on Jan. 20, Gatewood said. “There’s just been executive order after executive order.”

In January, the administration redefined sex as sex at birth in Trump’s “Defending Women” executive order, Gatewood explained, removing recognition of transgender and non-binary people. As a result, HUD stopped processing fair housing complaints involving sexual orientation or gender identity. 

The administration also halted the 2016 Equal Access Rule, which required equal access to HUD-funded facilities and services regardless of an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status. In announcing the change, HUD Secretary Scott Turner wrote this approach “means getting the government out of the way of what the Lord established from the beginning when he created man in His own image.”

Oregon continues to protect sexual orientation, gender identity and marital status, Gatewood said. 

This year’s National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) trends report, based on 2024 data from fair housing organizations and government agencies, says recent executive actions have made it harder for rural residents to buy homes. 

The administration eliminated several credit programs for minority and rural communities, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s Special Purpose Credit Program, which provided cost assistance to low-income and single-family homebuyers. It also discontinued a mortgage assistance option that benefited thousands of veterans and a $1 billion program that would have made HUD-assisted multifamily properties safer from natural disasters, the report says. 

An executive order declaring English the official language made it so federally funded housing providers no longer have to reach people with limited English proficiency, narrowing access to housing and reinforcing English-only policies.

The report recorded 1,836 national origin discrimination complaints in 2024 — roughly 150 more than the previous year — marking the highest total since 2018, when 2,351 complaints were reported.

Numerous executive orders have made it more difficult for immigrants to secure fair housing rights, the NFHA report says. HUD and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agreed to collaborate to identify undocumented immigrants who are ineligible for federal housing assistance and take action, including referring cases to immigration enforcement. HUD no longer provides insured mortgages to non-permanent U.S. residents and proposed to limit benefits and rental assistance for “mixed-status” households 

In May, Oregon created a specific protection that prohibits housing providers from discriminating against or asking questions based on actual or perceived citizenship status. Gatewood said landlords are also required to accept other forms of identification besides a Social Security number to confirm someone’s identity (unless the housing is federally owned and thus requires a SSN).

“Our state has created this during a time when it’s really needed,” Gatewood continued. “Oregon probably anticipated that there would be an uptick in discrimination against people because of their immigration status, because that is also what happened last time this administration was in place.” 

In September, HUD “rescinded some guidance,” Gatewood said, pausing some cases while rules are revised to reduce what the agency calls “unnecessary compliance burdens.” One example is HUD will no longer enforce cases related to someone’s need for a service or emotional support animal (a class still covered in Oregon).

According to the NFHA trends report, the revised rules are expected to threaten fair housing rights for people of all backgrounds by weakening the “disparate impact” standard. The longstanding rule ensures landlords, lenders and others use the fairest policy possible to provide housing and lending opportunities for all. 

“We have no idea how long it’s going to take to redo the guidance or what the new guidance is going to say,” Gatewood said. “While HUD is not enforcing cases around certain things like service animals and gender identity, our state still does and those rights are still protected here.” 

Gatewood anticipates more changes to fair housing laws to come. “We’re going to keep informing people about what’s happening and explain the difference between what’s happening federally and what’s happening here in Oregon, and where they can still get help if discrimination happens.”

Funding and staffing cuts add to the crisis

The report also documents that housing discrimination complaints maintained an average of 32,000 complaints per year coming in, but a decline in the rate of complaint processing. 

In a New York Times article, NFHA president Lisa Rice said recent federal changes have raised concerns among housing advocates that individuals will be discouraged from reporting discrimination. The trends report says it also reflects a potential future decline in the number of reported complaints because nonprofit and government organizations might not be able to process complaints. 

That’s because federal funding and staffing cuts limit services. 

In February, the administration cancelled $30 million in funding nonprofit fair housing groups, the NFHA trends report says. HUD lost 65% of its staff, according to a separate NYT article, resulting in hundreds of dropped cases. Discrimination charges decreased from an average of 35 a year to just four, according to the report. Then came the recent government shutdown when another hundred HUD employees lost their positions.

About 500 women a year seek help from HUD under the Violence Against Women Act, but only two of the six lawyers remaining in the fair housing office have experience with the law, the report says. HUD now only accepts housing complaints through its online portal, which makes it harder for those with limited internet access to exercise their right to fair housing.

Individuals facing housing discrimination on the basis of a state or federally protected class can turn to state agencies instead of HUD. Report discrimination to the Fair Housing Council of Oregon (FHCO) or file a claim with the housing division at the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). The FHCO housing discrimination hotline — open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon — offers phone assistance and receives around 2,000 per year, according to the website. 

FHCO can connect individuals to lawyers, directly advocate to housing providers and help file a complaint with BOLI or HUD.

“If we have the capacity to assist, then we will,” Gatewood said, “if not, we’ll make sure they get to somebody who can assist.” 

Email Ashland.news reporter Sydney Seymour at [email protected].

Related stories: 

Oregon advocates say Trump’s changes to housing program will exclude them from funding (Nov. 23, 2025)

Ashland residents seek help and hope at housing resources fair (Nov. 13, 2023)