HUD Urges Real Estate Industry to Share Local School and Crime Data, Addressing Concerns Over Racial Discrimination Under Biden Administration

On Friday, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) called upon real estate professionals to provide prospective homebuyers with crucial information about neighborhood schools and crime statistics. This plea comes in light of platforms like Redfin and Trulia ceasing such disclosures amid concerns of racial discrimination during the Biden administration.

“Purchasing a home is among the most critical decisions a family can make,” stated HUD Secretary Scott Turner. “Americans deserve transparency about essential factors like community safety and school performance.”

“HUD is emphasizing that real estate agents can and should share this information lawfully and consistently, ensuring every family has equal access to these critical insights,” Turner added.

In 2021, under a directive from then-President Joe Biden, HUD was tasked with employing the Fair Housing Act to curb “practices with an unjustified discriminatory effect” and to “eradicate racial bias and other discrimination throughout the home-buying and renting process,” aligning with the administration’s focus on racial equity.

Although the Biden memo was not explicitly referenced, within a year, several property listing sites such as Redfin, Trulia, and Realtor.com stopped providing neighborhood crime data on their platforms.

During the Biden administration, the National Association of REALTORS released guidance advising sales professionals to avoid directly addressing inquiries about neighborhood safety and school quality, concerned this might breach the Fair Housing Act.

In a “Dear Colleague” letter, HUD’s Assistant Secretary of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor notified state and local housing groups and real estate professionals of the Trump administration’s position that sharing such data with house hunters will not be viewed as a violation of federal law. 

“Contrary to publicly available materials from industry leaders … real estate agents and brokers do not violate the Fair Housing Act merely by discussing with prospective homebuyers or renters the prevalence of crime or the quality of schools in neighborhoods,” Trainor wrote.

“Americans deserve access to the information they need to make informed judgments about where to live and raise a family,” he added. “Under the Biden Administration, however, real estate brokerages and listing services began denouncing neighborhood crime data as potentially ‘reinforcing racial bias.’”

Trainor explained that the Biden-era memo has been “superseded by President Trump’s April 23, 2025, Executive Order, ‘Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy.’” 

The assistant secretary further noted that if the Fair Housing Act “made it illegal for real estate agents to discuss schools or crime in a neighborhood, grave First Amendment concerns would arise.”

He also recommended that real estate groups reconsider the use of “self-appointed DEI ‘experts,’” who may be incorrectly interpreting the Fair Housing Act. 

“Industry guidance instructing realtors not to answer client questions related to crime or schools does a disservice to purchasers, renters, real estate agents, and fair housing principles,” Trainor wrote. 

Asked about the new guidance, a spokesperson for Realtor.com indicated that the company is committed to “full transparency.” 

“We have always championed open markets and full transparency,” the spokesperson told The Post. “ As part of this commitment, we have commenced a review of reliable crime data sources.” 

National Association of REALTORS spokesperson said the group is “carefully reviewing the letter.”

“We appreciate the ongoing dialogue and guidance from the administration on this important issue,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “As the leading voice for real estate professionals, the National Association of REALTORS® brings deep expertise in fair housing and how it is applied in practice every day.

“We are carefully reviewing the letter and its implications for our members and the consumers they serve. We look forward to continued engagement with the administration and other stakeholders to ensure clear guidance that supports both compliance and the ability of REALTORS® to effectively serve clients in every ZIP Code across the country.”

Reps for Trulia and Redfin did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.