FHEO Table Talks Series

HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) presents the FHEO Table Talks Series. This series engages HUD grantees and other fair housing stakeholders in discussing relevant and timely fair housing and equal opportunity topics.

Episodes provide HUD grantees with the information needed to strengthen its partnerships with leading fair housing community stakeholders and facilitate the development of policies that are better informed and in alignment with fair housing and civil rights laws and HUD program requirements.

In accordance with the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government, the Table Talks topics include discussions with experts, practitioners, leaders, and activists engaged in equity work relevant to fair and equal housing opportunities. The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

 

FHEO Table Talks Series

Learning Briefs

Learning briefs distill key themes and recommendations discussed in multiple Table Talks episodes on important topics like racial equity and expanding housing choices.

View the Advancing Racial Equity and Fair Housing Learning Brief.

The primary goals of the FHEO Table Talks Series are to provide HUD grantees and other fair housing stakeholders with:

 
Best practices for implementation of fair housing and civil rights policies and programs
 
Education on various barriers to fair housing and methods to overcome those barriers
 
Methods for developing stronger partnerships with fair housing community stakeholders

Examining Socioeconomic Structures to Improve Racial Economic Equality

Racial Equity Homeownership Racial Wealth Divide

In this episode, DeAndra J. Cullen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Policy, Legislative Initiatives, and Outreach, talks with Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Chief of Race, Wealth, and Community at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), about actions to address systematic racial disparities in wealth and homeownership.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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Public Policies and Racial Equality: The Impacts of Policy on the Lives of Formerly Incarcerated Individuals in Housing and Employment

Formally Incarcerated Individuals Racial Equity Policy Structural Racism

In this episode, FHEO hosts Dr. Reuben Jonathan Miller, an author and Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. DeAndra J. Cullen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Policy, Legislative Initiatives, and Outreach, joins Dr. Miller for a conversation about the limited housing and economic opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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Racial Disparities in Homeownership and Achieving Racial Equity and Fair Housing in Underserved Communities

Racial Equity Homeownership Diversity and Inclusion

In this episode, FHEO hosts Lydia Pope, President-Elect of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB). Madam Pope and DeAndra J. Cullen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Policy, Legislative Initiatives, and Outreach, discuss the racial disparities in homeownership and achieving racial equity in underserved communities.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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Exploring the Inequities in Accessing Healthcare and the Impact It Has on Housing Stability

Health Equity Housing Instability Structural Racism Foster Care Youth

In this episode, Dr. Tollie Elliott, Chief Medical Officer for the Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care, Inc., and Dr. Edward Miller, the Division Director in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Chief Diversity Officer for the University of Louisville Health, talk with DeAndra J. Cullen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Policy, Legislative Initiatives, and Outreach, about their expertise and frontline knowledge on the inequities in accessing healthcare and the impact it has on housing stability.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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Changing Perceptions to Change Lives: Disability Rights and the Barriers that Still Exist

Disabilities Accessibility Housing Instability Fair Housing Law

In this episode, FHEO hosts a panel on Changing Perceptions to Change Lives, a discussion on disability rights laws and the barriers that still exist. This episode features Dr. Sachin Pavithran, Executive Director of the U.S. Access Board, and Jennifer Mathis, Deputy Legal Director and Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. James M. Roberts, Director, Education and Outreach Division, moderates the discussion. The panelists share their perspectives on the progress of disability rights laws and how the laws have impacted the lives of millions of people with disabilities at work, school, and in the home.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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Advancing Fair Housing and Racial Equity: Why it Matters

Racial Equity Housing Equity Policy Structural Racism

This episode features Demetria McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. DeAndra J. Cullen, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy, Legislative Initiatives, and Outreach, hosts the dynamic discussion and examines why advancing fair housing and racial equity really matters.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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Who’s Keeping Score? The Impact of Credit Scoring in Underserved Communities

Fair Housing Law Racial Equity Housing Counseling Affordable Housing

In this episode, DeAndra J. Cullen, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy, Legislative Initiatives, and Outreach, hosts a discussion with Lisa Rice, President and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), on the impact of credit scoring in underserved communities.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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HIV, Housing, and Healthcare: Ending the Epidemic in the LGBTQ+ Community

HIV Healthcare LGBTQ+ Housing First Affordable Housing

This episode of the FHEO Table Talks Series commemorates World AIDs Day. James M. Roberts, Director, Education and Outreach Division hosts a dynamic discussion with Imani Rupert-Gordon, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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Training the Next Generation of Civil Rights Leaders: the Role of Howard University's Fair Housing Clinic

Fair Housing Law Racial Equity Education Housing Stability

In this episode, DeAndra J. Cullen, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy, Legislative Initiatives, and Outreach, hosts a dynamic discussion with Okianer Christian Dark, Esq., Associate Provost for Faculty Development, and Professor of Law, Office of the Provost, Howard University; Valerie Schneider, Professor of Law, and Director of the Clinical Law Center, Howard University School of Law; and Asiyahola Sankara, Former Student Attorney (Fair Housing Clinic), Howard University School of Law.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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Shaping Housing Policies & Practices to Support AANHPI Communities

Housing Instability Language Access Homeownership Environmental Impact

In this episode, host Chang Chiu, Special Policy Advisor in HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, sits down with Seema Agnani, Executive Director for the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (CAPACD), and Gregg Orton, National Director of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), to discuss shaping housing policies and practices to support Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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AANHPI Communities: Examining Historical Barriers and Today's Housing Opportunities

Homeownership Language Access Fair Housing Enforcement Mobility

In this episode, host Chang Chiu, Special Policy Advisor for HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO), sits down with Hope Atuel, Executive Director of the Asian American Real Estate Association of America (AREAA), to discuss how the diverse experiences and perspectives of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities have affected their housing choices in the past and how homeownership opportunities for these communities can be expanded today.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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Advancing LGBTQIA+ Fair Housing and Equity

Fair Housing Equity LGBTQIA+ Cultural Competency Intersectionality

In this episode commemorating Pride Month, James M. Roberts, Director of the Education and Outreach Division, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, hosts a thoughtful discussion with Kim L. Hunt, Executive Director of the Pride Action Tank and Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy Operations, AIDS Foundation Chicago, and Imani Rupert-Gordon, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. This episode highlights how housing providers can support the LGBTQIA+ community in a culturally competent manner and reflects on fair housing advancements, historic legal victories, and ongoing challenges on the road to attaining equity for the LGBTQIA+ community.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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The Impact of Inequitable Property Valuation: Understanding the Interagency Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE)

PAVE Task Force Property Valuation Appraisal Process Homeownership Gap

Under the Biden administration’s 2021 directive, HUD launched the Interagency Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE) to examine the mechanics and effects of bias in home appraisals, which disproportionately harms homeowners of color and contributes to the racial homeownership gap. In this Table Talks episode, Melody Taylor, Executive Director for the PAVE Task Force, joins Karina Leake, Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Policy, Legislative Initiatives and Outreach in HUD, to discuss why the PAVE Task Force was formed, the impact of bias in the devaluation of properties in communities of color, and policy recommendations included in the Action Plan to Advance Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity. Additionally, the episode outlines steps viewers can take to better understand bias in home appraisals and how to file a complaint when bias is suspected.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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The Promise of Data for Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

Data Sources Data Quality Fair Housing Planning AFFH-T

In this episode of FHEO’s Table Talks Series, Tiffany Johnson, Director of the Policy & Legislative Initiatives Division for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Housing Equal Opportunity, Office of Policy, Legislative Initiatives & Outreach, moderates a conversation about how communities can use a variety of data sources to deepen their understanding of barriers to fair housing and make data-driven decisions to strengthen fair housing planning. Joining Tiffany Johnson are two experts in the use of data to affirmatively further fair housing: Dr. Michael Akinwumi, Chief Tech Equity Officer at the National Fair Housing Alliance and Heidi Aggeler, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Root Policy Research.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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Enhancing the Wealth-Building Potential of Manufactured Housing

Manufactured Housing Wealth-Building Homeownership Housing Affordability

Manufactured housing offers opportunities for households to obtain safe and relatively affordable housing, but barriers persist that prevent some households from benefitting from the potential of manufactured housing. Despite their affordability, challenges in how manufactured homes are financed and titled limit their wealth-building potential. This session will explore these and related issues with the leaders of two organizations dedicated to expanding wealth-building opportunities for residents of manufactured housing: Paul Bradley, President of ROC USA, which helps residents take ownership of manufactured housing communities and Doug Ryan, Vice President of Policy and Applied Research in Prosperity Now, an organization that promotes the expansion of manufactured housing as an affordable housing and asset-building strategy.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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Race, Geography, and Opportunity

Racial Equity Caste System Access to Opportunity Neighborhoods

Sheryll Cashin, Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law, Civil Rights, and Social Justice at Georgetown University, contends that America has a racial caste system that advantages affluent whites and disadvantages low-income Blacks and other people of color, and that policies that created and maintain racially-concentrated neighborhoods reflect and serve to reinforce this racial caste system. In this episode of FHEO’s Table Talks Series, Tiffany Johnson, Director of the Policy Legislative Initiatives Division in FHEO’s Office of Policy, Legislative Initiatives & Outreach, moderates a conversation with Professor Cashin about her research in this area and her recommendations for dismantling the caste system, including investments in schools, transit, neighborhood centers, and universal basic income, among others. The session will include a discussion of specific steps HUD grantees can take to help ensure all Americans, regardless of where they live, have equal access to opportunity.

The opinions and beliefs expressed by participants in the FHEO Table Talks Series are their own and do not reflect the official position of HUD or any of its programs.

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