HUD Says It’s Legal to Tell the Truth
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has clarified that real estate professionals can legally share information about neighborhood crime rates and school quality with homebuyers. This guidance reverses a prior chilling effect caused by fears that sharing such data could violate the Fair Housing Act's disparate impact provisions. HUD emphasizes that providing factual information does not constitute discrimination and supports informed homebuying decisions.
- ▪The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability.
- ▪During the Biden administration, HUD emphasized preventing practices with unjustified discriminatory effects, leading major real estate platforms to remove crime data from their sites.
- ▪Realtor.com, Trulia, and Redfin removed or avoided publishing crime maps, and the National Association of Realtors advised agents not to answer questions about neighborhood safety.
- ▪Wealthier or more connected buyers retained access to crime and school data, while others were left without transparent information.
- ▪HUD's new stance affirms that sharing factual neighborhood data is lawful and supports equitable access to housing information.
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HUD Says Realtors Can Now Speak the Truth by Alex Tabarrok April 28, 2026 at 7:18 am in Current Affairs Economics History Law HUD: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to real estate professionals clarifying they are not violating the Fair Housing Act when they share information with prospective homebuyers about neighborhood crime rates and school quality data. “Buying a home is one on the most significant decisions a family will ever make,” said Secretary Scott Turner. “Americans should not be left in the dark about vital facts like neighborhood safety or school quality.
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