Outrage Over Trump's Fair Housing Victory Lap

President Trump took to Twitter today to celebrate his administration's decision to rescind the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, approved by the Obama administration to strengthen the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

5 minute read

July 29, 2020, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Ben Carson

Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock

Planetizen has been following the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule since its development and adoption as one of the signature civil rights accomplishments of the Obama administration. Planetizen also followed the AFFH as the Trump administration started the slow process of dismantling the rule, and again recently as President Trump leveraged the rule in the hopes of making up ground he's steadily losing with voters in the suburbs.

But this week, with the AFFH finally in ashes, the narrative has taken a bizarre turn, with a Twitter blast from the president that provoked immediate outrage on social media, and is likely to be a lowlight of planning and housing policy history for decades to come. In the Tweet, the president seems ecstatic at his administration's accomplishments in maintaining a status quo that has proven, again and again and again and again, to cause segregation that harms low-income and marginalized communities.

I took a quick tour of Planning Twitter to gather reactions, some of which are emotional responses, and some are substantive responses. None of the reactions you'll see here support the tone or the substance of the president's tweet. If you're looking for support for the decision, I'm sure Stanley Kurtz is working on something for the National Review as we speak, if he didn't have an article in the canister already.

Is this Presidential Behavior?

That's Racism, Right?

File Under: Snark

YIMBYs Respond

Policy Wonks Respond


James Brasuell

James Brasuell, AICP is the former editorial director of Planetizen and is now a senior public affairs specialist at the Southern California Association of Governments. James managed all editorial content and direction for Planetizen from 2014 to 2023, and was promoted from manging editor to editorial director in 2021. After a first career as a class five white water river guide in Trinity County in Northern California, James started his career in Los Angeles as a volunteer at a risk reduction center in Skid Row.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

Aerial view of schoolyard in Oakland, California with newly planted trees, sports courts, and playground equipment.

Greening Oakland’s School Grounds

With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.

8 seconds ago - FacilitiesNet

Power lines at golden hour with downtown Los Angeles in far background.

California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas

Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.

1 hour ago - Los Angeles Times

Green roadside sign with white text reading "Entering Nez Perce Indian Reservation" against grassy field and blue sky.

Native American Communities Prepare to Lead on Environmental Stewardship

In the face of federal threats to public lands and conservation efforts, indigenous groups continue to model nature-centered conservation efforts.

2 hours ago - The Conversation