The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is launching multiple investigations into the lending practices of certain mortgage lenders to determine if they illegally denied families mortgages because the mother is pregnant or a family member is experiencing a short-term disability.

The action follows a report published this week in the New York Times outlining the lending practices of some lenders which might possibly violate the Fair Housing Act.

A published report in the New York Times indicated that some mortgage lenders may be denying credit to borrowers because of a pregnancy or maternity leave. As a result, HUD’s Office of Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity is opening multiple investigations into the practices of lending institutions to determine if they are violating the Fair Housing Act.

"Denying a mortgage to people just because they’re having a baby is flat wrong. Mothers on maternity leave have jobs, they have income, and they shouldn’t have to lose their deal to close on a house because they had a baby. I applaud HUD for taking action on this practice that could potentially affect untold numbers of families," Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement. Biden is also chair of the White House Task Force on Middle Class Families.

"Lenders have every right to ascertain the incomes of families to determine whether they are eligible for a mortgage loan but they have no right to use a pregnancy or a short-term disability as a cause to deny that family a mortgage they would otherwise qualify for. Having a child should be a time for a family to celebrate and must not be a cause for unfair lending practices," HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said.