The Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Donald Trump has opened a civil rights investigation into a Democratic-led city’s housing strategy, raising questions about whether Boston’s use of federal funds complies with federal anti-discrimination law.
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HUD announced Thursday that it is investigating Boston’s housing program over concerns that the city’s diversity, equity, and inclusion practices may “violate civil rights protections under the Fair Housing Act and Title VI.”
The investigation focuses on whether Boston has used federal housing grants to support what HUD described as race-based policies.
According to HUD, the department sent a letter to Boston’s Office of Housing in mid-September outlining its concerns.
The letter stated that HUD had reason to believe the city was using federal funds to advance a housing strategy that prioritizes race in violation of federal law.
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The department cited language from the city’s own website describing Boston Housing Strategy 2025 as “provid[ing] tools to … reduce racial disparities through homeownership and development opportunities for BIPOC-led organizations.”
Boston’s housing strategy further states that the city aims to ensure that at least 65 percent of home-buying opportunities are awarded to “BIPOC” households.
HUD officials said those goals prompted the agency to request extensive documentation from the city to determine whether the program unlawfully discriminates on the basis of race.
On Thursday, HUD formally notified Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration that an investigation had been opened into the city’s housing policies.
In its notification, HUD pointed to specific elements of Boston’s fair housing planning that it said raised legal concerns.
“To further its racialist theory of housing justice, the City’s Fair Housing Assessment promises to ‘target homebuyer outreach’ at ‘Black and Latinx families’ and pressure ‘banks and mortgage lenders to increase their lending in communities of color,’” HUD’s notification to Boston stated.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner said the department believes Boston’s approach reflects an effort to impose race-based outcomes rather than comply with federal civil rights standards.
“HUD is committed to protecting every American’s civil rights and will thoroughly investigate the City’s stated goal of ‘integrating racial equity into every layer of city government,’” Turner said.
“This warped mentality will be fully exposed, and Boston will come into full compliance with federal anti-discrimination law.”
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Boston pushed discriminatory housing policies in the name of DEI.
This warped mentality will be exposed and Boston will come into full compliance with federal law. https://t.co/hWspi5dwcp
— Scott Turner (@SecretaryTurner) December 12, 2025
Turner added that the department views the city’s housing strategy as a broader attempt at social engineering that conflicts with federal law.
The investigation comes as the Trump administration has taken steps to review and challenge DEI-driven policies at the federal, state, and local levels, particularly where federal funding is involved.
HUD officials said the Fair Housing Act and Title VI prohibit discrimination on the basis of race in federally funded programs, regardless of whether such discrimination is framed as an effort to address disparities.
Boston officials pushed back against the investigation.
A city spokesperson told Blaze News that the administration of Mayor Wu intends to defend the housing strategy and reject the federal government’s characterization of the program.
“Boston will never abandon our commitment to fair and affordable housing, and we will defend our progress to keep Bostonians in their homes against these unhinged attacks from Washington,” the spokesperson said.
HUD has not announced a timeline for the investigation or said what potential consequences could follow if the city is found to be out of compliance.
The department’s request for documents indicates that federal officials are examining how Boston designed and implemented its housing strategy, as well as how federal grant money was allocated in support of those policies.
The outcome of the investigation could have implications beyond Boston, as other cities and states have adopted housing and development strategies that explicitly incorporate racial targets or preferences.
HUD officials said the inquiry is focused on whether such policies violate longstanding federal civil rights protections tied to the receipt of federal funds.
As the investigation proceeds, Boston officials and federal regulators are expected to continue exchanging information.
HUD has said it will determine next steps after reviewing the requested documents and assessing whether the city’s housing strategy complies with federal law.
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