New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis will introduce legislation to make it easier for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault to access housing, in plans first shared with The 19th.

The Fair Housing for Survivors Act would amend the Fair Housing Act to expand protections for  people who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault, ensuring they cannot be evicted or denied access to housing on the basis of being survivors of those crimes — similar to a protected class designation. The bill has been endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union and several housing and domestic violence advocacy organizations. 

“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 Shaheen, a Democrat who also advocated for modernizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Intimate partner violence affects over 10 million people every year in the United States. Nearly 40 percent of all domestic violence survivors become homeless at some point in their lives, and those who do are further vulnerable to violence. In addition, more than 90 percent of women already experiencing homelessness have experienced physical or sexual abuse at some point, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

The legislation would build on VAWA, which provides protections and rights for people applying for federally subsidized housing units.

“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,” Malliotakis said. 

Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat, and Malliotakis, a New York Republican, had also worked with Shaheen in a 2023 effort to introduce these protections. It never made it out of committee.

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