Secretary Scott Turner, from the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Jeffrey Clark, representing the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), have jointly issued an order in accordance with President Donald Trump’s executive order to eliminate regulations related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
In a statement, Turner emphasized the importance of removing these barriers, stating, “By eliminating these burdensome obstacles, we are freeing professionals from unnecessary regulations that have increased costs, hindered access to homeownership, and discouraged market participation.”
He further added, “Under President Trump’s leadership, the focus on DEI and excessive regulation from the Biden era is no longer a priority. At HUD, we are prioritizing common sense and making the American Dream of homeownership achievable once again.”
The Partnership for Assessment of Valuation Equity (PAVE) was established in 2021 as an interagency task force aimed at addressing racial and ethnic biases in home valuations, particularly in communities of color. Former HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge and former White House advisor Susan Rice served as co-chairs of the group.
While the task force’s findings highlighted significant disparities in appraisal values between Black and white neighborhoods due to systemic racial biases, critics questioned the validity of the conclusions, citing the reliance on a study from the Brookings Institution and Zillow’s Zestimate.
A separate study from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) concluded that valuation gaps were primarily driven by socioeconomic differences rather than racial bias.
With President Trump’s stance against DEI-related policies, the fate of PAVE came into question. The task force’s website was taken offline shortly after Trump’s second term began, leading to speculations about its discontinuation.
The current status of PAVE remains uncertain, as HUD has not responded to HousingWire’s request for comment regarding the task force’s operations.