FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Providence, RI — Commissioner Akin of the Providence Housing Authority issued a strong denunciation of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding revisions to the Access to Housing in HUD Programs rule. The proposed changes remove explicit protections for LGBTQ+ individuals seeking shelter and housing services—an action Commissioner Akin calls “a ruthless tactic designed to undermine the Equal Access Rule.”

The NPRM eliminates specific language safeguarding individuals on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Commissioner Akin vowed to “passionately and unequivocally oppose this rollback” and has submitted written testimony to the relevant HUD subcommittee, accompanied by a completed Truth in Testimony disclosure form.

Commissioner Akin, who is a product of both public housing and public education in New England, emphasized the personal significance of this issue. She spent a third of her life in public housing and recalls the fear and instability that came when an eviction notice appeared on her door the moment she reached the age of majority. She believes her identification as LGBTQ+ played a role in that experience and is determined to prevent others from facing similar discrimination.

“Public housing is changing, and it must change for the better,” Akin stated. “Families, students, elders, and LGBTQ+ individuals deserve stability—not uncertainty. The Equal Access Rule ensures that no one is turned away or mistreated because of who they are and who they love.”

Commissioner Akin stressed that removing LGBTQ+ protections from HUD programs threatens the safety and dignity of vulnerable residents nationwide. She knows first hand that regulations imposed on the public housing level crosses over to the private housing level and this regulatory provision could cause "a slippery slope" if adopted. Thus, she remonstrated federal officials to preserve the existing protections and reaffirm HUD’s commitment to equitable access to housing for all.

For Commissioner Akin, this fight is both professional and deeply personal. “I know firsthand what it means to be feel unprotected,” she said. “I will not allow this to happen to another person under our watch.”