“The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and countless others marched, endured attacks, and died to secure the rights that are once again under attack.”
Dear America,
When I was growing up, I was always confused about why rich and powerful people always had so much help when they didn't seem to need it. I wondered why people like me, the people in my community, working class people, people of color, people with disabilities and countless others didn't have what they needed to thrive. Because of that, when it was time to choose my career, there was only one option and one goal: public service. I knew that I wanted to be one of the people I was waiting for, one of the people that ordinary people needed, one who stepped up to level the playing field. That decision to serve has been the best one I've ever made. That's why it hurts to write this letter and why I feel I had to write it.
My decision led me to work in both the public and private sectors, and on many different types of cases, to help people that were experiencing exploitation or discrimination. That work was important and impactful, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing from it. I felt my work was incomplete because it wasn't addressing the core issues people were facing. I frequently found myself thinking of all the people I couldn't help or that soon, someone else would be in the same situation. Eventually, I realized that the core issues that left people vulnerable to exploitation came down to three things: the law, legal resources, and housing. The last one was the most important. I constantly encountered clients that never would have needed my help if not for the lack of access to high-paying jobs, excessive policing, environmental hazards, underfunded schools, and countless other issues caused by lack of access to safe, affordable housing where they needed and wanted it to be.
Working as a civil servant at HUD was my chance to make a difference on all of these issues. By working at HUD, I joined a team focused on making sure that every single person in this country has a place to call home. We took on anyone, anywhere, big or small that attempted to restrict access to housing. We helped anyone, regardless of their income, who they were challenging, or how much money was at stake. And we had powerful tools to help with. We spoke with the force of the federal government to say discrimination was unacceptable and would be uncovered and addressed wherever it happened. We could quickly address people's problems through settlements or conduct huge investigations with expert staff. We could prosecute anyone who illegally denied someone housing. And when the law itself was the problem, we could influence it, revise it, or enforce it differently.
Our work wasn't perfect and there were many things that could have been improved, but we were a watchdog that set the expectation that the federal government would be there to help anyone that experienced discrimination. And banks, governments, and landlords knew that there was someone to hold them accountable if they denied people housing. Getting to serve the public like that made my job at HUD a dream job.
But the dream turned into a nightmare in January of 2025. From day one of the current administration, my ability to help you has been undermined and attacked. Our work protecting you is treated as suspect and unimportant. We are treated with disrespect and suspicion or outright ignored. I came to HUD to help you regardless of race, gender, familial status, disability, etc., but I have been shown that helping you is not one of this administration's priorities.
There have been several instances where I have been stopped from helping unhoused survivors of domestic violence, parents with disabled children, families experiencing racial harassment, and more. I came to HUD to serve and have instead been prevented from doing so. That eats away at me and my heart hurts for the people who have been left in terrible situations. I feel sick when I think of the people that believed that they would receive help from the government, only to have that help snatched away without a reason or explanation. I feel like I have been forced to abandon people and my reason for choosing my career in the first place.
We have tried to protect your rights from the inside. We have pushed for the law to be followed. Sometimes we have succeeded. But often, internal pushback is silenced or ignored. This administration is creating an atmosphere of fear. Through threats, reassignments, and blatantly firing whistleblowers, they send the message that people who advocate for your rights will be stripped of their jobs and their ability to protect you. That makes it risky to push back, to speak up, or to speak out. That is why I have to tell you the truth anonymously. But we are still here fighting for your rights, individually and collectively. You have the right to housing and as a civil servant it is my job to protect you from ANYONE who tries to take that from you, including this administration. That is the oath I took when I became a federal worker.
I want to see a future where no one has to worry about whether they'll have a roof over their head because of the color of their skin, the language they speak, having a disability, or because of who they love or how they identify. One where communities do not segregate and exclude but instead live together in harmony and justice. To get there, we will need to survive these difficult times. We need a HUD that serves everyone. To endure and reach that future, federal workers on the inside need your support.
So keep filing cases. Follow up on them. Don't let the administration pretend that everything is fine or justify its inaction. Tell your stories of HUD stalling, closing, and refusing to act on your cases. Speak out about the discrimination you have faced publicly and ask the question "WHERE IS HUD?" Oppose attempts to silence federal civil servants that speak out internally or externally. Amplify the stories of the workers that find the courage to speak out. Remind your elected officials that you demand free and universal protection from discrimination from the government you pay for. Join community organizations, unions, faith communities and any other groups that are committed to equal access to housing and work with federal workers that are fighting on the inside and the outside to protect your rights.
The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and countless others marched, endured attacks, and died to secure the rights that are once again under attack. We cannot let those rights be snatched away on our watch! Today, the calling for all of us is to defend and expand those rights. Federal workers continue to fight for you to make those rights a reality. Join us!
—A civil servant
