Trump admin investigates Minnesota over 'racialized housing plans'

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has notified the City of Minneapolis that its Office for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) has opened an investigation into the city’s housing policies, citing concerns that elements of Minneapolis’ long-range housing plans and equity initiatives may violate federal civil rights law.

In a letter to the city, HUD said it is reviewing what it described as “comprehensive racialized housing plans” to determine whether they conflict with the Fair Housing Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibit discrimination in housing and in programs receiving federal financial assistance.

HUD Secretary Scott Turner framed the inquiry as part of the department’s enforcement of equal-protection requirements in housing, arguing that Minnesota’s housing policies have strayed from federal law. “Minnesota is ground zero for fraud and corruption because they have chosen to ignore the law to serve a cynical political agenda. This undermines our American values, united by a common heritage, language, and commitment to equal treatment under law,” Turner said. “As HUD Secretary, I will continue to deliver on President Trump’s promise to provide affordable housing for
American families. HUD will not stand for illegal racial and ethnic preferences that deny Americans their right to equal protection under the law. I am committed to deliver on this promise by thoroughly investigating any housing discrimination involving the city of Minneapolis.”

Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor similarly criticized state and local leadership, contending that Minneapolis may be prioritizing housing assistance on the basis of race or national origin rather than financial need. “Under the feckless leadership of Governor Tim Walz, Minnesota has become a Third World failed state, where criminals engage in massive, unchecked fraud and decent Minnesotans are held captive to the riotous impulses of left-wing cultural arsonists,” Trainor said. He added that Minneapolis, under Mayor Jacob Frey, “may be engaging in unlawful discrimination by prioritizing Minneapolis residents for housing based on race and national origin rather than need,” and pledged that the Trump administration “will ensure Minneapolis fully complies with the Fair Housing Act.”

In its notice, HUD cited several city planning documents as examples of potentially discriminatory policy. Federal officials pointed to language in the city’s “Minneapolis 2040” comprehensive plan pledging to prioritize housing resources for so-called “cultural districts,” defined as areas “significantly populated by people of color, Indigenous people and/or immigrants.” HUD also highlighted city commitments to “focus on people of color” and “Indigenous people” when expanding homeowner support programs. Additionally, the agency referenced Minneapolis’ Strategic and Racial Equity Action Plan, which states that the city intends to align “racial equity goals with department plans and budgets,” including a pledge by the Department of Community Planning and Economic Development to use its rental licensing authority to prioritize “rental housing for Black, Indigenous, People of Color and Immigrant communities.”

HUD emphasized that the investigation will examine whether these policies amount to unlawful racial or ethnic preferences in violation of federal civil rights law. The notice itself does not constitute a final determination but marks the beginning of a formal federal review, which could result in corrective action or enforcement measures if violations are found.