HUD Secretary Scott Turner halts gender identity housing rule enforcement
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Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner has ordered an immediate halt to enforcement of the Obama-era landmark housing rule based on gender identity, directing the agency to operate programs based on biological sex.
The directive halts pending or future implementation of HUD’s 2016 Equal Access Rule, which expanded officially recognized gender identity in federally funded housing programs and shelters.
The move marks a significant shift in the operation of shelters and HUD-funded providers, particularly those serving women fleeing domestic violence, and implements President Donald Trump’s executive order to restore what the administration calls “biological truth” across the federal government.
“I direct HUD staff to cease any pending or future enforcement actions related to HUD’s 2016 Equal Access Rule, which inherently tied HUD-funded housing programs, shelters, and other facilities to far-left gender ideology,” Turner said. he said.
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President Donald Trump stands with HUD Secretary Scott Turner at an event. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“We, as this agency, are carrying out the mission that President Trump laid out on January 20, to bring biological truth back to the federal government,” he added.
“This means recognizing that there are only two genders: male and female. It means getting government out of the way of what the Lord established in the beginning when He created man in His image.”
The 2016 rule allowed people to identify themselves by gender when accessing certain housing services and limited shelters’ ability to challenge that identification.
Critics of the rule argued that it restricted the rights of shelters, especially those serving women affected by trauma, domestic abuse and violence, by requiring them to accept individuals based on gender identity rather than biological sex.
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Housing and Urban Development Secretary nominee Scott Turner testified at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on January 16, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
Turner framed the move as part of a broader overhaul of HUD policy and spending.
“And this is just the first of many examples of how HUD will get back to working for the American people from day one and making good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” he said. “Where this came from, there will be more.”
The Equal Access Rule was first implemented in 2012 and prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status in HUD-funded programs. The 2016 update expanded these protections by requiring programs to also recognize gender identity.
President Donald Trump and HUD Secretary Scott Turner attend a reception with Republican members of Congress in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 22, 2025. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg)
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Turner’s order does not repeal the rule, but it does halt enforcement tied to the 2016 expansion.
“As I have said before, we will take inventory of HUD programs and ensure that every dollar that comes out the door advances HUD’s mission to provide quality, affordable homes to communities across the country—urban, rural, and tribal—and to spur economic investment to build stronger communities and a brighter future for all Americans,” Turner said.
