42 U.S.C. § 3608a
Collection of certain data (THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE (42 U.S.C.))
Operative Text
To assess the extent of compliance with Federal fair housing requirements (including the requirements established under title VI of [ et seq.] and title VIII of [ et seq.]), the Secretary of Agriculture shall collect, not less than annually, data on the racial and ethnic characteristics of persons eligible for, assisted, or otherwise benefiting under each community development, housing assistance, and mortgage and loan insurance and guarantee program administered by such Secretary. Such data shall be collected on a building by building basis if the Secretary determines such collection to be appropriate. The Secretary of Agriculture shall include in the annual report of such Secretary to the Congress a summary and evaluation of the data collected by such Secretary under subsection (a) during the preceding year.
Under 42 U.S.C. § 3608a, the Secretary of Agriculture is required to gather racial and ethnic demographic data at least once a year from programs it administers involving community development, housing assistance, and mortgage or loan insurance. This data collection can go as granular as the building level when deemed appropriate, and a summary with evaluation must be included in the Secretary's annual report to Congress.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers participating in USDA-administered housing or loan programs covered by 42 U.S.C. § 3608a should be aware that the agency collects racial and ethnic data on program participants to monitor fair housing compliance. Operators in these programs generally maintain accurate tenant and applicant demographic records and cooperate with any data requests from the USDA as part of standard program administration.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under 42 U.S.C. § 3608a, tenants and applicants in USDA housing or loan programs have an interest in knowing that the federal government tracks racial and ethnic participation data to assess whether fair housing obligations are being met. If you believe a program is not being administered equitably, tenant-rights organizations and HUD's fair housing complaint process are among the general avenues available for raising concerns.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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