Included in the ongoing purge of federal workers by the Trump administration were employees at the Atlanta regional office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
One federal worker’s story shows what may be at stake for the region’s housing.
A Carrollton native, Christopher Bergquist worked in the HUD department that enforces federal fair housing laws prohibiting discrimination by apartment owners or real estate brokers.
After working for the county and federal courts, he earned a master’s degree and wanted to continue in public service.
“I love the idea that my stakeholders are the public,” Bergquist said.
His professor recommended him for the role in fair housing – something he’d previously thought little about. He quickly learned how important the work was to people’s lives.
Bergquist said one of his first cases came from a woman who was disabled. For months, she had requested her landlord modify her shower so that she could fit her wheelchair.
“I don’t think she had showered in a really long time because it just was too difficult for her,” he said.
The landlord didn’t comply until Bergquist’s team showed up.
Bergquist said his office at HUD investigated several hundred cases, originating from complaints alleging discrimination based on federally protected classes, such as disability, race or sex, in the southeast region every year.
Bergquist was almost two years into a four-year position, which he expected to become permanent.
“I’d planned on staying there for a very long time,” he said.
But like many federal employees, he was fired last month, despite receiving the highest rating in his performance reviews, he said. The administration claims the firing of federal workers like him was aimed at improving efficiency, but its actions face several challenges in federal court, arguing the government did not follow the correct procedures or laws.
Bergquist, who described his work in greater detail in a social media post, worries not just for himself but that fair housing laws may also lose their meaning. The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity is expecting more cuts. A leaked HUD document, now widely available online, projects a 76.5% reduction in staff nationwide.
“Without somebody to put some teeth behind the Fair Housing Act,” he said, “you know, private landlords or people who own covered housing – what incentive is there for them to follow the law?”
HUD did not provide comment for this story. Previously a spokesperson told the Associated Press not to consider the document final.
Reporter Stephannie Stokes can be reached at [email protected].
