Presenter: Eden Elfathy

Faculty Sponsor: Caroline Coscia

School: UMass Boston

Research Area: Political Science and Government

Session: Poster Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM, 165, D9

ABSTRACT

In 2001, the Clinton Administration issued Executive Order No. 13166, "Improving Access to Services for Persons With Limited English Proficiency." This order led to guidance issued by both the Department of Justice and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) focusing on federal requirements for language services to fulfill the goal of improving language access for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). Recently, however, efforts to provide access to people with limited English proficiency have been hindered. Under the current Administration, there has been an effort to eliminate that access, notably through HUD’s updated 2025 guidance, which states that English will be the only language used for HUD communications, except in specific cases. This research paper will explore the history of access to language services in U.S. public housing, specifically using the Boston Housing Authority as a case study, examining its successes, and the current barriers that Housing Agencies face in moving to provide language access to LEP individuals.