California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Mar. 16 a lawsuit co-led by his office and 15 other attorneys general against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) over new guidance that they say weakens fair housing protections and makes it more difficult to address discrimination by landlords.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, challenges HUD’s September 2025 guidance, which threatens to decertify state and local agencies if they enforce protections beyond those required by the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA). The attorneys general argue that this move undermines state laws offering broader protections and imposes new funding conditions unrelated to fair housing enforcement.
Attorney General Bonta said, “All levels of government — local, state, and federal — should be laser focused not only on building more housing, but also ensuring that everyone can access a home free from discrimination. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration thinks otherwise. HUD, without legal authority, is effectively undermining state laws that offer stronger protections than federal law. My fellow attorneys general and I are united in our answer: not on our watch. 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 FHA prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. States like California have expanded these protections to include gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, source of income, and veteran or military status. The lawsuit alleges that HUD’s new requirements—such as barring claims based on disparate impact liability or restricting funds related to abortion policy or so-called “gender ideology”—are vague and exceed its authority.
According to the official website of the California Attorney General’s office,the office serves as the state’s chief law enforcement authority, advancing policies in civil rights and protecting public rights across California.Rob Bonta leads this office, which operates statewide.It also promotes transparency through tools like OpenJustice for publishing criminal justice data.
The coalition behind the lawsuit includes attorneys general from Illinois (co-lead), Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. The outcome could affect how states enforce anti-discrimination measures in housing moving forward.
