Advocates say new housing orders could impact fair lending protections

Last week President Donald Trump signed two executive orders aimed to expand access to mortgage credit and reduce regulatory barriers to housing construction. The administration says the orders could help increase homeownership and boost housing supply. The orders primarily direct federal agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFB), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to review existing rules and recommend policy changes. The orders do not immediately change mortgage regulations or housing laws.

Executive Orders Signed on March 13, 2026

• Executive Order: Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit
  The order directs federal financial regulators to review mortgage lending rules and reduce regulatory burdens that may limit lending by community and regional banks. Agencies are also instructed to examine mortgage disclosure requirements, appraisal rules, and underwriting standards to determine whether regulatory changes could increase access to mortgage credit.
• Executive Order: Removing Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Home Construction
  This order directs federal agencies to review policies and regulations that may slow housing development or increase construction costs. The administration says the goal is to identify ways to encourage more housing construction and increase the supply of homes.

On Monday, the National Fair Housing Alliance, a national housing advocacy group, raised concerns about the two executive orders, warning that the measures could weaken lending safeguards designed to protect borrowers and prevent discrimination in the housing market. “Full enforcement of the Fair Housing Act is key to addressing the nation’s fair and affordable housing crisis,” said Nikitra Bailey, executive vice president of the National Fair Housing Alliance. “Our nation’s civil rights and consumer protection laws are essential to ensuring that all people can achieve the American Dream.”

The Fair Housing Act, passed in 1968, prohibits discrimination in housing and lending. Additional mortgage regulations were strengthened following the 2008 housing and financial crisis through reforms included in the Dodd-Frank Act. Advocates say those reforms helped restore stability to the housing market and expanded opportunities for more borrowers to access mortgages in recent years, including increases in Black homeownership rates between 2019 and 2024.

In the Evansville area, Black homeownership has seen modest gains since 2019, rising from the upper-30% range to around 40% in recent years, according to U.S. Census estimates. However, that progress still leaves a significant gap compared to white households, whose homeownership rates are closer to 65–70%. The gap highlights ongoing disparities in access to housing, credit and wealth-building opportunities, even as overall homeownership has remained steady across the region.

Housing affordability remains a major concern for families across the country as rising home prices, limited housing supply and higher interest rates continue to make homeownership more difficult for many Americans. Fair housing groups say addressing the crisis will require comprehensive policies that expand housing supply while protecting borrowers from discriminatory practices, and they will be watching closely to see how the policies are implemented.