California sues Trump administration over new housing discrimination rules
California and more than a dozen other states are accusing the Trump administration of trying to gut enforcement of fair housing laws by imposing “vague, arbitrary, and unlawful conditions” on state and local agencies, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.
The requirements from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, known as HUD, include barring those agencies from using funds to promote “gender ideology,” elective abortions or illegal immigration. They also include preventing the agencies from alleging that a policy or action discriminated against people even if there was no intent behind it.
“HUD, without legal authority, is effectively undermining state laws that offer stronger protections than federal law,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “HUD’s guidance is unlawful and would only roll back the progress we’ve made to keep our families safe from discrimination that limits where they can live.”
The case was filed in San Francisco federal court.
“Leftist state attorneys general have run to a San Francisco courthouse in a desperate attempt to obstruct President Trump’s America First agenda through political lawfare. Their latest stunt will not succeed,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner posted on X Monday evening in response to the lawsuit. “I will continue enforcing the Fair Housing Act as written and intended. That is to ensure equal rights under the law, not extra rights for politically favored groups.”
The department has provided funding to state and local governments to enforce housing laws for decades. The California Civil Rights Department is a state agency that is participating in the program.
In September, the housing department threatened to decertify recipients of the money who don’t follow a series of rules, according to the lawsuit.
It calls the effort the “latest attempt by the executive branch to leverage federal programs to achieve unrelated policy goals that thwart Congress’ will and infringe upon state sovereignty.”
Bonta’s office, along with attorneys general from the District of Columbia and 14 states, are asking that a judge prevent the requirements from going into effect and determine that putting them in place would violate federal law.
This story was originally published March 16, 2026 at 1:41 PM.
