FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

April 29, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT: 

e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov

c: 202.913.0126

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), along with Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), reintroduced the No Biometric Barriers to Housing Act. This legislation would prohibit the usage of facial and biometric recognition technology in most federally funded public housing and require the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to submit a comprehensive report to Congress about how this emerging technology impacts the public housing sector and its tenants. 

“Despite the usage of facial recognition technology growing more common year after year, it remains too inaccurate and too defective for Americans to trust it will function properly whenever and wherever it confronts them in their daily lives. Far too many people of color, women, and other vulnerable groups have been victimized by this flawed technology for Congress to stand by and allow this unacceptable status quo to continue. We have a responsibility to implement meaningful regulations that address the biases inherent to facial recognition and protect the people who are at risk of being harmed by it, and I am proud to lead this legislative solution that will fulfill that duty,” said Congresswoman Clarke.

“Facial recognition technology is flawed, biased and exacerbates the surveillance and criminalization people of color already face,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “I am proud to reintroduce the No Biometric Barriers to Housing Act with Representatives Clarke and Tlaib to ban the use of facial recognition and other biometric technologies in HUD-funded properties. Tenants in public housing deserve to have their civil rights and liberties protected, and this bill would help to do just that.”

“Biometric technologies like facial recognition have been found to be inaccurate, disproportionately target women and people of color, and violate basic privacy protections,” said Congresswoman Tlaib. “HUD properties should be focused on providing permanent, safe, and affordable housing to every resident who needs it – not fueling the overcriminalization of marginalized communities. This technology has no place in public housing.”

Read the full bill text here.

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