The Department of Housing and Urban Development will no longer offer materials and services in languages other than English, following President Donald Trump’s executive order from January designating English as the official language of the U.S.
“We are one people, united, and we will speak with one voice and one language to deliver on our mission,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a post on X echoing the phrase used in a memo sent to employees on Monday.
The decision, first reported by the New York Post on Sunday, went into effect immediately, with the translation option previously offered on HUD’s homepage being removed on Tuesday.
“People aren’t happy about it,” a current HUD employee told NOTUS on Tuesday.
In an internal memo shared with employees on Monday, HUD’s deputy secretary, Andrew Hughes, wrote that other than exceptions required under the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Violence Against Women Act, HUD would be an English-only agency.
“HUD will continue to ensure that all persons have meaningful access to HUD programs and services,” Hughes continued, adding that the department “will continue to provide communication services to the hearing and seeing impaired, and persons with related disabilities.”
In a statement to NOTUS, department spokesperson Kasey Lovett said the transition complies with federal law and “anything to the contrary is nonsense.”
“Furthermore, we have actually received direct responses from employees in support of this effort,” Lovett said in response to employee concerns. “Of course, NOTUS will only report the liberal narrative, as they always do.”
Following @POTUS’ Executive Order Designating English as the Official Language of The United States, HUD will solely use English for all Departmental business and services.
— Scott Turner (@SecretaryTurner) August 19, 2025
We are one people, united, and we will speak with one voice and one language to deliver on our mission. pic.twitter.com/m1HPUb3Pep
Prior to the changes, HUD offered an interpretation line for individuals not proficient in English, translated documents in 125 languages and telephone assistance in 222 languages.
A local chapter of the AFGE Council 222, the union that represents more than 5,000 HUD employees, posted on social media that the transition to English-only services violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
“For the people HUD serves, this is devastating,” Local 476 of the AFGE wrote Monday. “Millions of tenants, applicants, & survivors of violence need language access. Denying it could shut people out of housing & services they’re entitled to by law.”
HUD isn’t the first agency to take action under Trump’s executive order declaring English the national language. In March, the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Services canceled a contract with its translation service provider for those calling with questions related to their employment status or benefits.
A month later the National Weather Service allowed a contract with the artificial intelligence company that conducted its translation services to lapse, effectively pausing its language translation services.
Nearly 69 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English, and 26 million of them speak English less than “very well,” according to the 2023 U.S. census. Advocates say that without translation services non-proficient English speakers are at risk of being denied benefits and would face greater barriers to federal services.