Press Releases

Washington, D.C. –Today, U.S. Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) introduced the bipartisan Fair Housing for Survivors Act, legislation to protect survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and sex trafficking from housing discrimination. They are joined by 38 original cosponsors in the House, and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) is leading this legislation in the Senate.

This legislation is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, the National Homelessness Law Center, the National Housing Law Project, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), and the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. On average, twenty Americans per minute are victims of physical violence by an intimate partner. As many as 57% percent of all homeless women and children are fleeing domestic violence.

While the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides protections for survivors living in public housing and Section 8 project-based programs, survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and sex trafficking have no explicit legal foundation to fight discrimination and eviction in the private housing market.

“For far too long, survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking have been forced to choose between confinement with their abusers or homelessness,” said Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz. “Even as they are victimized, they can – and have been – evicted on the grounds of involvement in criminal activity. I am proud to introduce legislation that will remedy this injustice, expanding the protections granted by the Fair Housing Act to allow people to escape abusive situations.”

“Every survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking deserves a safe place to call home,” said Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Fair Housing for Survivors Act to ensure survivors have the necessary resources to rebuild their lives free from abuse, protect them from unfair discrimination in the private housing market and provide them with support to escape abusive environments.”

“Access to safe housing is a serious issue for survivors and their families, which is increasingly more difficult in New Hampshire as we face a housing crisis. This bipartisan legislation would be an important tool to break down barriers and protect already vulnerable populations,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen. “This bill is a commonsense, but big step we can take in Congress to enhance safety measures for victims of violence and trafficking by providing them with fair housing protections.” 

“Across the country, survivors of domestic and sexual violence are routinely denied housing or evicted from their homes because of the violence they have experienced,” said Sandra Park, Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU Women’s Rights Project. “This bill will provide important protections from discrimination that will enable survivors to access secure housing for themselves and their families.”

“Housing is safety for many survivors,” said Monica McLaughlin, Senior Director of Public Policy at the National Network to End Domestic Violence. “Facing housing discrimination based on their experience of violence further endangers them. This bill will ensure that survivors are not revictimized by housing discrimination.”

“Equal access to adequate housing is a human right for every American, and is especially needed for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking,” said Eric Tars, Legal Director at the National Homelessness Law Center. “We thank Reps. Wasserman Schultz and Malliotakis and Sen. Shaheen for introducing the Fair Housing for Survivors Act and call on Congress to act swiftly to ensure fair housing protections for these vulnerable populations as an important step in ending homelessness and protecting the basic dignity of our fellow Americans.”

If enacted, the Fair Housing for Survivors act would:

·       Build on protections in the Violence Against Women Act with respect to domestic violence and expand those to private housing.

·       Add ‘survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and severe forms of trafficking’ to the list of protected classes under the Fair Housing Act, establishing a clear standard across the country that those victimized by domestic violence, sexual violence, or sex trafficking cannot be evicted or otherwise penalized for being victims of those crimes.

·       Allows the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Justice to more effectively protect victims of domestic violence and sexual violence.

·       Encourage more states to adopt similar protections at the state level.

The full text can be found here.

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