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Trump rips up Obama-era rule, brags low-income housing won't bother suburban dream: 'Crime will go down, enjoy!'

The president tried to showcase the repeal as a way to preserve suburbs, drawing on the history of protesting fair housing
UPDATED JUL 30, 2020
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

President Donald Trump is trying his best to win the trust of the suburbs whose blessings could determine whether he gets another term in the White House. As the president flew to Texas on Wednesday, July 29, he tweeted saying people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream will no longer be bothered or financially hit by having low-income housing built in the neighborhood. He said the price of the houses will go up and crime will go down and announced that he thus rescinded the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule of the previous Barack Obama-Joe Biden administration.

Last week, the White House decided to repeal the Obama administration’s 2015 AFFH rule. The rule, penned under the Fair Housing Act (1968), required local governments to prove that federal subsidies for housing projects would not be channelized to developments with zoning laws or other regulations that are discriminatory against the minorities, especially the Black and Hispanic Americans. The president tried to showcase the repeal as a way to “preserve” suburbs, drawing on the history of protesting fair housing and low-income housing projects in affluent areas — along racist and classist lines. 

'Blatant racism': Elizabeth Warren

Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, a former presidential candidate, slammed Trump saying this was “blatant racism” on his behalf. Warren said in a tweet in a response to Trump’s posts: “The AFFH rule that Trump ripped up was about helping cities address our country’s ugly legacy of government-backed housing discrimination and segregation. This is blatant racism from the President of the United States. And it’s disgusting.”

(Getty Images)

Last Friday, July 24, Trump tweeted an article by New York Post critical of his presumptive opponent Biden to say: “The Suburban Housewives of America must read this article. Biden will destroy your neighborhood and your American Dream. I will preserve it, and make it even better!” The president’s claim made on July 29 is his latest attempt to appeal to the suburban voters, considered a key factor for this year’s election. The embattled president has found himself trailing Biden with the election less than 100 days away and has now tried to arouse local sentiments against the former vice president to prevent the latter from eating into his suburban support.

Opponents to the efforts to expand access to housing beyond the affluent and White have always claimed that such projects would harm property values and see a rise in crime. Studies have shown that investments in low-income housing see a reduction in crime but at the same time, may cause homeowners to sell for a cheaper price when such projects come up in affluent zones, the Hill reported.

During his visit to Texas, where the Republicans are feeling less confident about maintaining their strong show in the election, Trump bragged again over his suburban plans. “People fight all of their lives to get into the suburbs and have a beautiful home,” the 74-year-old said. “There will be no more low-income housing forced into the suburbs. “It’s been hell for suburbia,” Trump said, before asking the audience to “enjoy your life, ladies and gentlemen.”

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