New Secretary at HUD Could Create Confusion with Tenant Screening, Opines TenantScreeningUSA.com
Waltham, MA (PRWEB) January 24, 2017 -- With every new administration in Washington comes change and President Trump has selected Ben Carson, a former rival, to be the new Secretary of HUD, one of the largest and most complex departments within the federal government and charged with the great complexities of housing across the country. Adam Almeida, President and CEO of TenantScreeningUSA.com offers an opinion: "This change could be a stark contrast to the previous administration and with the potential of dramatic change landlords and property managers should be prepared by working with a well-qualified third-party tenant screening company in order to ensure continued compliance with all federal and state policies, as well as those put forth by HUD."
After winning an often contentious election, President Trump has selected a former rival, Ben Carson, as his Secretary of HUD, one of the largest and most complex departments within the federal government.
By picking Ben Carson, Trump has raised concerns amongst advocates of recent anti-discrimination policy changes by the previous administration.
From Politico.com (Dec. 05, 16):
Less apparent is how a Carson-led housing agency would enforce anti-discrimination laws, including the Fair Housing Act. Last year, in an op-ed for The Washington Times, Carson targeted an Obama administration rule that requires cities and localities to use data to ferret out patterns of segregation, calling it a "social-engineering" scheme.
"These government-engineered attempts to legislate racial equality create consequences that often make matters worse," Carson wrote in the Times. "Based on the history of failed socialist experiments in this country, entrusting the government to get it right can prove downright dangerous." (1)
The Fair Housing Act protects a buyer or renter from unlawful or illegal discrimination.
Almeida opines: "The Fair Housing Act is a powerful tool used to protect individuals from being unfairly discriminated against either as a buyer or a renter. Recent Supreme Court decisions continue to uphold and enforce the FHA. (Docket No. 13-1371)"
In some circles the ascendance of Carson as Secretary of HUD has a "silver lining" insomuch that the level of notoriety of Ben Carson will create greater exposure to the challenges and issues that HUD faces daily.
Almeida opines: "One thing is very clear: Change is coming and how that affects housing is not yet evident, but the potential of significant change is at hand and now in the days after the inauguration. Now is the time to ensure that all tenant background check policies are current, lawful and legal. Working with a well-qualified third-party tenant screening company is always a best practice."
TenantScreeningUSA.com is a third-party tenant screening company with an experienced staff highly trained in all aspects of tenant screening, including laws and regulations governing the use of public records including those obtained from criminal background checks.
Notes:
(1) politico.com/blogs/donald-trump-administration/2016/12/ben-carson-hud-secretary-trump-232184
Dan Adams, Criminal Background Records, http://www.criminalbackgroundrecords.com, +1 (877) 811-6557, [email protected]
Share this article