General
USCCB Letter to HUD Commenting on Proposed HUD Equal Treatment Regulations (2020)
Comments on Proposed HUD Equal Treatment Regulations (March 6, 2020)
On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), we submit the following comments on proposed regulations issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and published at 85 Fed. Reg. 8215 (Feb. 13, 2020), regarding the equal treatment of faith-based organizations in HUD programs. The proposed HUD regulations are intended to eliminate regulatory burdens imposed on faith-based organizations that receive federal funds. We agree that religious organizations should not be singled out for special regulatory burdens, and that such targeting raises constitutional problems.
The proposed regulations would helpfully eliminate regulatory burdens on faith-based providers of social services that receive HUD funds. We commend HUD for the proposed changes discussed in this letter and urge their adoption in the final rule.