This week, the Biden administration announced its intention to nominate Acting Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Sandra Thompson as the FHFA’s full-time Director.
In response, Lisa Cylar Barrett, Director of Policy for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), issued the following statement:
“We applaud the Biden Administration’s announcement of its intent to nominate Sandra Thompson as the Director of FHFA. Ms. Thompson has had a long career in the housing and finance sectors and has a keen understanding of housing and regulatory policy.
“Given the current racial gap in homeownership in America, it is essential that the FHFA Director understands the continuing ill effects of systemic and institutionalized racism within our country’s financial and housing markets.
“As Ms. Thompson has demonstrated throughout her career — from helping to establish the Fair Housing Office at the FHFA to promoting consumer protections during her tenure at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation — she not only understands the ill effects but is committed to addressing many of the barriers which perpetuate this longstanding problem.
“Upon her confirmation, Ms. Thompson will become the first Black woman in U.S. history to head a financial regulatory agency. We look forward to working with her on many critical issues once she is confirmed.”
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Follow LDF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.