(José Niño, Headline USA) Federal housing regulators have turned to college dormitories, opening civil rights investigations into two flagship public universities.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is examining campus housing at the University of Connecticut and the University of Minnesota after complaints alleged both schools operate residential communities along racial lines, Just the News reported. The agency’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity will decide whether the programs breach the Fair Housing Act by steering or advertising housing according to race or ethnicity.
The Equal Protection Project, founded by Cornell law professor William A. Jacobson, filed both complaints on July 12. As Just the News reported, the group maintains that themed residential communities sort students by race even when participation technically stays open to everyone, and that marketing a dorm around racial identity qualifies as discrimination under federal law.
The UConn filing names ScHOLA²RS House, BSOUL House, and La Comunidad Intelectual. The Minnesota filing names four Twin Cities communities, including Huntley House, CASA SOL, and Tsev Hmoob.
Minnesota quietly added disclaimer language to several program pages after March 2026, the complaint alleges, citing archived web records.
“Such perfunctory non-discrimination language does not cure the racial steering violation,” the complaint says.
Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor defended the probes.
“Too often, however, these young Americans arrive on campus only to be steered toward racially segregated housing arrangements that divide students, create unequal experiences, and betray the core principles of a classical liberal education,” Trainor said. “We will fully investigate the allegations against the University of Connecticut and the University of Minnesota to determine if they are, in fact, violating the Fair Housing Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
Both universities reject the allegations.
“UConn does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or any other aspect of identity, including in our on-campus housing,” a school spokesperson said.
A Minnesota spokesperson pointed to the school’s web copy. “The University’s Living Learning Communities are open to all students, regardless of race or ethnicity, which is clearly stated on our website,” the spokesperson said. “The University is diligent in its compliance with federal regulations, guidelines and anti-discrimination laws.”
Just the News reported that HUD is weighing whether the programs satisfy federal fair housing rules. Should investigators find violations, the schools could face financial penalties or orders to overhaul or eliminate the programs.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
