WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced Thursday it is ending key initiatives tied to the Biden-era Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE) task force, reversing policies it characterized as burdensome, economically harmful, and ideologically driven.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner and OIRA Acting Administrator Jeffrey Clark framed the rollback as a course correction aligned with President Trump’s executive orders targeting regulatory reform and economic relief.
The terminated policies, originally aimed at combating perceived racial bias in home appraisals, included guidance on appraisal reconsideration and fair housing compliance. Officials argued these rules inflated costs, deterred participation in the housing market, and failed to improve access to homeownership.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the Biden-era’s obsession with DEI and overregulation is over,” said Turner. “We’re restoring common sense and putting the American Dream of homeownership back within reach.”
Clark added, “Wokeism at HUD wasn’t just social policy—it was damaging economic policy that denied a generation the opportunity to own a home.”
Critics of the PAVE task force, including the American Enterprise Institute, maintain that disparities in appraisal outcomes are better explained by socioeconomic factors than systemic discrimination. AEI Co-Directors Tobias Peter and Ed Pinto praised the rollback, noting that similar disparities exist across demographically comparable white communities.
The rescinded measures include Mortgagee Letters ML 2024-16, ML 2024-07, and ML 2021-27. Enforcement of anti-discrimination laws under the Fair Housing Act and Equal Credit Opportunity Act will continue.
The move marks another step in the administration’s broader effort to reduce regulatory burdens and reassert market-oriented housing policy.
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