As HUD Moves to Limit Assistance Animal Policy Abuse, Realtors® Applaud Common Sense Reforms

WASHINGTON (January 28, 2020) – National Association of Realtors® President Vince Malta issued the following statement after the Department of Housing and Urban Development unveiled new assistance animal policy guidance Tuesday afternoon. NAR’s leadership team met with HUD officials to discuss its priorities for reform last year at the department’s Washington, D.C. offices.

“This law exists to protect millions of Americans with disabilities who rely on the support of their assistance animals – like those living with depression, military veterans suffering from PTSD and countless other deserving individuals,” said Malta, broker at Malta & Co., Inc., in San Francisco, CA. “But as NAR has stressed to HUD over recent months, these protections are jeopardized when a small minority seeks to exploit weaknesses in the system. NAR applauds Secretary Carson for moving to stop this behavior, and we look forward to working with the department to further reinforce fair housing laws while protecting our members and the residents they serve.”

The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

# # #