The Fair Housing Improvement Act (S.2827/H.R. 5443), would expand the Fair Housing Act to prohibit housing discrimination based on “source of income,” “military status” and “veteran status.” These added protections will make it easier for low-income households, veterans, and servicemembers to access affordable housing, building a foundation for long-term stability and successful reintegration into communities. This policy solution is a key priority of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign and over 35 national organizations have endorsed the Fair Housing Improvement Act.
Background:
The Fair Housing Improvement Act (S.2827/H.R. 5443), introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Representative Peters (D-CA) seeks to expand the Fair Housing Act by adding “source of income,” “military status,” and “veteran status” to its list of protected classes. Too often landlords discriminate against households that receive rental assistance through programs like the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) or Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) programs. This legislation aims to prevent such practices and expand access to safe, affordable housing for low-income veterans and other vulnerable groups. By prohibiting this form of discrimination, the bill ensures that low-income households, veterans, and servicemembers can access housing in the communities of their choice, supporting educational opportunity, upward mobility, food security and positive health outcomes.
The Fair Housing Improvement Act:
- Expands the Fair Housing Act of 1968 to prohibit housing discrimination based on “military status,” “veteran status,” and “source of income.” In doing so, the bill will make it easier for low-income households, veterans, and servicemembers to access affordable housing in communities of their choice.
- Protects housing and service programs designed to serve veterans and low-income households. Programs that are designed to serve veterans or military families, such as HUD-VASH or Tribal HUD-VASH, may continue to serve those populations.
- Provides landlords 40 months to come into compliance. Landlords will have the time needed to understand and implement the law in practice.
THE OPPORTUNITY STARTS AT HOME CAMPAIGN CALLS ON CONGRESS TO ENACT THIS LEGISLATION QUICKLY.
Today, the housing crisis has reached critical levels. Low-income households, retirees on fixed social security income and veterans with low paying civilian re-entry jobs are facing homelessness or paying unaffordable rent costs. The Fair Housing Improvement Act is an important and vital effort that, if enacted, would dramatically improve the life trajectories of veterans, servicemembers, and low-income households by preventing housing discrimination based on “source of income,” “military status” and “veteran status.”
TAKE ACTION!
Please send the letter below to your federal elected officials urging them to support the Fair Housing Improvement Act.
Learn more about the “Fair Housing Improvement Act” here.
SEND THE LETTER BELOW TO YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS URGING THEM TO SUPPORT THE FAIR HOUSING IMPROVEMENT ACT.
Dear Congress,
The Fair Housing Improvement Act (S.2827/H.R. 5443), introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Representative Peters (D-CA) would prohibit housing discrimination based on “source of income,” “military status” and “veteran status.” The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign calls on Congress to support this legislation. The Fair Housing Improvement Act is an important effort that, if enacted, would dramatically improve the life trajectories of families, veterans, servicemembers, and housing voucher recipients.
Access to stable, affordable housing is foundational for well-being and opportunity across every sector. In health, safe and stable housing prevents long-term health problems and promotes healthy lives from childhood to adulthood. In education, when children remain stably housed, it improves academic performance and drives consistently strong outcomes for all children in the classroom. Economically, fair housing increases a family’s opportunity of upward mobility and access to job opportunities, dismantling cycles of poverty. These outcomes are backed by a growing body of research finding that access to affordable housing advances racial equity and gender equity, supports reentry after incarceration, fuels economic and community development, reduces environmental health disparities, slows climate change, and helps seniors age with dignity. Veterans are disproportionately represented among people experiencing homelessness and face unique barriers to fair housing access. Many veterans experiencing homelessness face mental health challenges and struggle with service-related disabilities, further complicating access to housing.
Ensuring that all eligible households have access to rental assistance is essential to any effective strategy for addressing the growing housing and homelessness crisis across the nation. However, far too often, households struggle to find landlords willing to accept their housing assistance, including HUD Housing Choice Vouchers, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers, or other state and local resources. Landlords frequently discriminate against households receiving rental assistance, often as a proxy for racial discrimination, leaving these households with few options for where to live. Research shows landlords deny housing to households with federal rental assistance, particularly in markets without source of income protections. Housing discrimination prevents low-income people from living in neighborhoods of their choice, including areas with access to jobs that pay decent wages, high-performing schools, healthcare, and transit.
While several states and localities have passed source of income protection laws federal law does not protect against this type of discrimination, and state and local enforcement varies widely. A federal solution is needed. It is critical that Congress enact the Fair Housing Improvement Act to protect veterans, servicemembers, and housing voucher recipients from housing discrimination.
For more information about the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign and its advocates, please see: www.opportunityhome.org
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