Statement on Executive Order 12259 Concerning Leadership and Coordination of Fair Housing in Federal Programs

In my urban policy report to the Congress, I promised to issue an Executive order concerning Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, the Fair Housing Act. I am fulfilling this promise today. This Executive order will strengthen the ability of each executive agency to administer its Federal programs and activities in such a way as to promote fair housing. This Executive order:

• reemphasizes HUD's authority and responsibility to administer the Fair Housing Act;

• stipulates the leadership and coordination role of HUD and the responsibilities of all other agencies with respect to the preparation and implementation of regulations and procedures which will further fair housing;

• requires all agencies to use informal and formal means to remedy violations of regulations or procedures adopted pursuant to the order;

• sets a timetable for implementation of these requirements by all Federal agencies;

• directs HUD to submit an annual report to the President noting the progress made by the Federal Government in furthering fair housing objectives.

This order will not by itself close the gap between the present reality and the national fair housing objectives set by Congress in the Civil Rights Act of 1968. That gap can truly be narrowed only by a heightened enforcement program such as the one that would have gone into effect had Congress adopted the Fair Housing Amendments of 1980. Yet this order will help. It will then be the task of the 97th Congress to strengthen the Federal Government's ability to secure prompt and equitable compliance with Title VIII fair housing provisions by enacting the amendments to the Civil Rights Act of 1968 supported so vigorously by this administration.

This is the third in a series of Executive orders I have issued to improve the Federal Government's ability to enforce our Nation's civil rights laws.

Executive Order 12067 was issued to clarify to the leadership responsibility of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission where job discrimination was concerned. Executive Order 12250 defined the leadership responsibility of the Department of Justice in programs involving Federal financial assistance. The present Executive order sets out the leadership responsibilities of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in administering programs and activities relating to housing and urban development in such a way as to promote the cause of fair housing.