On September 26, 2011 both chambers of the U.S. Congress introduced legislation that would extend housing discrimination laws to include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The HOME (Housing Opportunities Made Equal) Act was introduced by Sen. John Kerry and others. The bill would amend the Fair Housing Act to prohibit housing discrimination and intimidation on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Wisconsin is one of 13 states and the District of Columbia that already outlaws housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. However, currently only 8 states afford fair housing protection based on gender identity and Wisconsin is not one of those states.
#1 by Mary C on November 1st, 2011
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Do they have any thing else to worry about! That probably fits in one of the other catagories anyways.
. Instead of saying “do not discriminate against renters, unless illiegal or crimminals” and call it a day.
Because there are a lot of Shelters that have only one sex orientation or rooming houses etc. You can’t always just open the doors to everyone that need special places.
Thanks for letting us know…
Mary C..
#2 by Michael Z on November 1st, 2011
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Appears to be a commendable bill, based on the short description.
#3 by Amy on November 1st, 2011
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While I am all for equal protection under the law, I can see where this may be problematic. If you live in a state that does not recognize gay marriage then a landlord can still legitimately turn down an unmarried couple, same sex or otherwise. But if this change happens, I can see where landlords may feel like they are opening themselves up to additional liabilities should they deny a gay couple. Whether this is a valid concern or not, the perception would be there I think.
#4 by Wieslawa on February 24th, 2012
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Personally, I feel very strongly that college students should be a protected class as well. Some landlords unfairly discriminate against college students who often make ideal tenants.
Also, people who love dogs and other animals should be a protected class – it’s nearly impossible for someone who, say, has 5-7 dogs to find a roof over their head, even if the dogs were adopted from the animal shelter to save their life. This is not fair.