Make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants based on their source of income?
This bill aims to strengthen tenant protections and address discriminatory practices in housing. Key provisions include:
Prohibition of Income-Based Discrimination: The bill seeks to amend the Fair Housing Act to make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants based on their source of income. This includes income from Section 8 housing vouchers, Social Security benefits, child support, and other forms of federal, state, or local assistance.
Penalties for Intentional Vacancy ("Warehousing"): To combat the practice of landlords deliberately keeping units vacant to drive up rental prices or disqualify them from housing assistance programs, the bill proposes fines. Landlords found intentionally leaving units unoccupied for more than 60 days could face penalties of up to $100,000 for every 30-day period the unit remains vacant beyond the initial 60 days.
Enhanced Tenant Protections: The legislation mandates increased staffing at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to handle tenant complaints more effectively. It also authorizes grants for programs aimed at preventing tenant harassment, ensuring renters have access to safe and fair housing.
Tax Incentives for Compliant Landlords: To encourage landlords to maintain their properties and comply with housing standards, the bill introduces tax credits for those who promptly address maintenance issues in low-income housing units.Sponsor: Rep. Nydia Velázquez (Democrat, New York, District 7)
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How do you feel?
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Opponents say
• "NAA and NMHC strongly support federal fair housing laws, but HUD’s move to revert to a 2013 version of their disparate impact regulation creates unnecessary confusion, undermines the use of necessary business practices and imposes new obstacles to reducing housing costs and addressing our housing supply shortage. Importantly, it fails to address limitations the Supreme Court put on the use of disparate impact theory—which creates legal liability for seemingly neutral policies that may have a discriminatory effect on a protected class—in a 2015 ruling in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project, Inc." Source: NAA
• "Rent control is not the solution it appears to be on the surface…While well intended, these policies have been proven to work against their intended purpose and ultimately hurt renters, housing providers and communities. This research explains the unsettling truths about rent control which are important to recognize in housing affordability discussions." Source: NAA’s director of advocacy research, Leah Cuffy
Proponents say
• "New York City is in the midst of a housing affordability crisis, made worse by the unscrupulous practices of certain landlords across the city. Landlords who prioritize profit over people by forcing families and seniors out of Section 8-eligible housing must be stopped and held accountable…As homelessness is on the rise nationwide, addressing the housing crisis must be a priority for this Congress. That’s why this is the first bill I’ve introduced in the 119th Congress, and I’m hopeful my Republican colleagues will join me in tackling this urgent issue." Source: Rep. Nydia Velázquez (Democrat, New York, District 7)
• "While many might assume that racial housing segregation is a thing of the past, predatory practices by landlords keep it alive in communities across the country. Landlords commonly use “no-evictions” policies that unfairly shut out families from housing for years. These policies broadly exclude applicants with an “eviction” — without distinguishing between eviction filings and judgments or considering individual circumstances. Instead, these policies automatically reject all applicants from housing if they have any connection to an eviction case, even if, for example, the eviction case was dismissed or very old, or the family is now financially stable...There is no justification for automatically rejecting all housing applicants because they had some connection to an eviction case. While housing providers can choose to complete tenant screenings, applying discriminatory criteria — such as those used by Oak Park Apartments — violates fair housing law. We can no longer ignore the consequences of these policies and the communities they harm." Source: ACLU
• "In San Diego and across the country there are too many stories of unnecessary loss and debilitating anxiety when looking for housing…No American should be denied housing based on the source of their income or their status as a veteran, especially as we face a historic housing crisis and unacceptable levels of veteran homelessness. Our bill would make this type of deplorable discrimination illegal." Source: Rep. Scott Peters (Republican, California, District 50)
- Velázquez’s Introduces First Bill of 119th Congress to Crackdown on Dishonest Landlords (Press Release)
- Peters, Schiff, & Kaine Introduce Bill To Protect Veterans And Low-Income Families From Housing Discrimination (Press Release)
- The Pros And Cons Of Rent Control For Landlords And Tenants (Forbes)
- How Eviction Brands Renters With a Scarlet Letter (ACLU)
- The High Cost of Rent Control (NMHC)
- Rep. Nydia Velázquez’s Largest Donors (OpenSecrets)
