Photo: WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Local elected officials and minority community leaders are defending Boston Mayor Michelle Wu against accusations of racial discrimination in housing leveled by the Trump administration.
Fair housing advocates like Nadine Cohen joined activists and city councilors to oppose the Trump administration's investigation that labeled Boston's housing policies an effort to smuggle racial equity into every layer of city government.
"I think this is about Trump's effort to assert white supremacy and deny people of color housing opportunities. I think it goes hand in hand with Trump's attempt to dismantle civil rights laws," Cohen said.
The Trump administration claims the housing efforts made by Mayor Wu violate civil rights protections in the name of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Armani White of the group Reclaim Roxbury called the HUD investigation into Boston's housing policies racist and political.
"Sometimes it feels like we're living in the upside-down world with this administration," White stated.
Read More: Mayor Wu Extends Office to Residential Conversion Program
According to a fair housing report from 2022, Black people in Boston saw a denial rate of 16.8% when applying for home mortgage loans, with Latinx people trailing behind at 13%. White applicants saw a denial rate of 8.1% and Asians 4.7%. Black residents also consistently experience far higher rates of homelessness when compared to their counterparts, according to the Boston Indicators. As the average rent has decreased in the city, it still remains over $3,000 a month. The group called on the Trump administration to retract its unfair charges against Boston and reaffirm the federal fair housing law. Boston City Councilor Brian Worrell defended the city's housing efforts.
"Boston has become unaffordable for too many people. Families are getting priced out, seniors are struggling to stay, and long-time residents are being pushed out of neighborhoods they've called home for generations," Worrell said.
Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon says she feels like the Trump administration has unfairly targeted the city.
"I'm deeply angered by the Trump administration's ridiculous attacks on fair housing and civil rights. This president has a vendetta against Boston," said Breadon.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Mike Macklin reports.
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