FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31st, 2017
Brooke Havlik, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, 212-961-1000 ext. 320, brooke@weact.org
Washington, D.C — Today, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) co-sponsored a new bill S.103 – Local Zoning Decisions Protection Act of 2017, which poses a serious threat to documentation of racial disparities in affordable housing. Most concerning in the bill is language which states, “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal funds may be used to design, build, maintain, utilize, or provide access to a Federal database of geospatial information on community racial disparities or disparities in access to affordable housing.”
In response, WE ACT’s Federal Policy Director, Dr. Adrienne Hollis, issued the following statement:
“This bill, whether intended or not, disproportionately impacts communities of color and/or those of low socioeconomic status. The documentation of racial disparities in affordable housing supports protection efforts for those routinely discriminated against. S.103- Local Zoning Decisions Protection Act of 2017 severely undermines efforts to research, identify, and advocate for environmental justice communities nationwide. Communities like those represented by WE ACT for Environmental Justice in Northern Manhattan—those dealing with the crippling onslaught of economic housing disparities caused by gentrification and unlivable wages—will suffer if this legislation passes.”