Illinois House Democrats Demand HUD Strengthen Housing Protections

Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski leads letter opposing HUD's proposal to rescind disparate impact regulation under the Fair Housing Act

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski led 12 members of the Illinois House delegation in a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), opposing their proposed rule to rescind the existing disparate impact regulation under the Fair Housing Act without replacing it. The members argued that eliminating HUD's disparate impact regulation would create significant regulatory uncertainty, weaken fair housing enforcement, and undermine longstanding civil rights protections.

Why it matters

The disparate impact framework is a critical tool for challenging systemic housing discrimination, particularly in Illinois where communities continue to grapple with the legacy of redlining, exclusionary zoning, and other policies that produce lasting disparities. Weakening federal fair housing enforcement would have serious consequences for vulnerable populations, including women experiencing domestic violence.

The details

The letter states that for more than a decade, state and local governments, housing providers, and advocates have structured compliance, enforcement, and programmatic decisions around HUD's disparate impact framework. Eliminating the regulation entirely would create significant uncertainty and further erode cooperative enforcement models. The members also emphasized that state-level action cannot fully substitute robust federal enforcement, as HUD's disparate impact regulation plays a crucial role in setting national standards, guiding federal investigations and funding decisions, and ensuring consistent protections across jurisdictions.

  • The letter was sent on February 12, 2026.

The players

Nikki Budzinski

Congresswoman representing Illinois' 13th district and the lead author of the letter.

Illinois House Delegation

12 members of the Illinois House of Representatives who signed the letter alongside Congresswoman Budzinski.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

The federal agency that proposed the rule to rescind the existing disparate impact regulation under the Fair Housing Act.

Sharon Legenza

Executive Director of Housing Action Illinois, an organization that endorsed the letter.

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What they’re saying

“One of the most important ways we can address housing and homelessness in Illinois and the nation is by making sure our laws and policies protect people from discrimination, including the kinds of bias that are often hidden.”

— Sharon Legenza, Executive Director of Housing Action Illinois (Letter)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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