New Legislation Fights Discrimination Against Renters Using Housing Assistance Funds

April 7, 2020 by Taneeka Richardson in 2020 session, Blog, Economic Opportunity

Maryland legislators took one very important step to address Maryland’s housing crisis by ensuring that people using government assistance to fund a portion of their rent have the same choices of where to live as other Marylanders. Other significant reforms to housing were under consideration, but with the legislature adjourning early due to COVID-19, they did not pass.

After decades of trying, Maryland finally passed the HOME Act, barring discrimination against renters based on their source of income. The bill adds source of income protections to the current list of prohibited forms of housing discrimination and will ban landlords from not accepting Housing Choice Vouchers. Maryland now joins 15 other states plus the District of Columbia with effectively banning this type of discrimination against renters.

Additionally, the Homes for All package included three new bills that would have lifted zoning restrictions on new housing, generated a fund for public housing and established new rights for tenants. Unfortunately, these bills fell short with the legislature narrowing its focus as result of the pandemic. Ensuring tenant protections is crucial at a time when 1 in 3 Maryland households spends more on housing than they can afford, including nearly half of renters. Moreover, people of color make up 60 percent of Maryland renters and are disproportionately impacted by the housing affordability crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to exacerbate this problem, but the federal stimulus packagedoes not include any new protections for renters.

In order to afford a market rate two-bedroom apartment in Maryland, with rent of about $1,400 per month, a family needs to either earn more than 2.5 times the state minimum wage, about $28 per hour, or work 91 hours a week at the state’s minimum wage. This was already a significant challenge and may prove more difficult during this pandemic as many employers are either cutting workers’ hours or laying them off completely. Moreover, renters in low income communities often find themselves subjected to predatory landlord fees, discrimination and living in homes that landlords fail to upkeep properly – subjecting the tenants to threats to their health and safety. These misguided practices can ripple through the community in terms of higher healthcare costs and poor economic growth for Maryland families.

Maryland needs bold and innovative housing legislation that would further aid the most segregated and discriminated group of Marylanders with accessing safe, affordable housing in opportunity areas. Strong evidence shows that investing in affordable housing within opportunity neighborhoods pays off in the long term by helping children and families stay healthy, and can ultimately reduce healthcare costs. Additionally, well-located affordable housing can connect families to communities with good-paying jobs, good public schools and transit, thereby increasing family incomes and providing long-term benefits for children who grow up with greater economic stability. Maryland renters are going to need supportive legislation even more now that the economy could potentially decline as a result of the pandemic.

This year has been very important for housing policy both locally and nationally. This past February, housing advocates in the region gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Thompson vs. HUD. The suit took legal action against decades of discriminatory housing policy in Baltimore City that confined public housing residents to the poorest and most segregated communities. Maryland is on track to making great progress with addressing affordable housing, but more still needs to be done. The Trump Administration has proposed yet another rule that could potentially roll back civil rights laws that help fight discrimination in housing. If Trump’s proposed rule is passed, it could leave some Marylanders struggling to find affordable and safe housing, as well as make it difficult to win housing discrimination cases in court. Maryland lawmakers need to continue to introduce evidence-based housing legislation into the legislature, because ensuring everyone has a decent and affordable place to live will pay big dividends for all Marylanders.