Shaheen, Wasserman Schultz, Malliotakis Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Provide Housing Rights to Domestic Violence Victims

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) is introducing legislation alongside U.S. Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-23) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11) to enhance safety measures for people who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault by providing them with fair housing protections. U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) is also an original co-sponsor of theFair Housing for Survivors Act.
“We know that people who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence and sex-trafficking are more likely to face homelessness. At the federal level, we should be making every effort to help survivors heal – and access to safe, stable housing is a critical component,”said Senator Shaheen.“I’m proud to introduce this commonsense bicameral legislation with bipartisan support to enhance existing protections so that survivors have the legal support they deserve to land on their feet and build better lives.”
“We cannot continue to force survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking into an impossible choice between forced confinement with their abusers, or living on the streets,”said Wasserman Schultz.“Even as they face daily abuse and exploitation, people are evicted or denied housing based on the outlandish grounds that they’re involved in criminal activity. Discrimination like this, which overwhelmingly hurts women and children, must end now. So, I’m very proud to work across the aisle to break this cycle of injustice and help people find safe harbor from abuse.”
“Every survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking deserves a safe place to call home,”said Congresswoman 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, stable housing is a fundamental component to addressing domestic and sexual violence, and yet, survivors often face discrimination and eviction, with38% of all domestic violence survivorsbecoming homeless at some point in their lifetimes. TheFair Housing for Survivors Actwould address these challenges by building on protections in theViolence Against Women ActandFair Housing Actto ensure survivors cannot be evicted or denied access to housing solely for having experienced those crimes.
A copy of the bill text can be foundHERE.
The legislation is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Freedom Network USA, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, National Homelessness Law Center, National Housing Law Project, National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Network to End Domestic Violence and the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.
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