BILL: Should We Protect Domestic Violence Survivors From Eviction? - Fair Housing for Survivors Act of 2023 - H.R.2918
Tell your reps to support or oppose this bill!
The Bill
H.R.2918 - Fair Housing for Survivors Act of 2023
Bill Details
- Sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) on April 26, 2023
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) is leading the legislation in the Senate.
- Committee: House - Judiciary
- House: Not yet voted
- Senate: Not yet voted
- President: Not yet signed
Bill Overview
- Provides protection for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and sex trafficking under the Fair Housing Act. A fundamental component of ending domestic and sexual violence is securing safe and affordable housing for survivors.
- Helps ensure that people who are survivors of these crimes do not face eviction or other forms of retaliation for crimes committed against them.
- 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.
- 84% of survivors in domestic violence shelters reported needing help finding affordable housing.
What's in the Bill
Protects survivors in private housing
- Expands protections to survivors living in private housing.
- Establishes a nationwide standard so that people 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 protect victims of domestic violence and sexual violence more effectively.
Protects women from homelessness
- According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. On average, 20 Americans per minute are victims of physical violence by an intimate partner. Intimate partner violence affects over 12 million people in the U.S. every year.
- Domestic and intimate partner violence is a leading cause of homelessness among women and families. As many as 57% of women and children experiencing homelessness cite escaping intimate partner violence as the primary reason for their homelessness.
- 92% of homeless women report having experienced severe physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives.
- The severe shortage of affordable housing often leaves survivors with few housing options and can encourage people to stay with their abuser.
Protects survivors from eviction
- Some municipalities have "nuisance-free" ordinances, which label households with frequent noise disturbances and calls to emergency services as "nuisance" properties. This can lead to domestic violence incidents being mislabeled and can prevent people from seeking help out of fear of eviction or retaliation.
- Ensures that survivors are not revictimized by housing discrimination.
What Supporters Are Saying
"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. 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."
- Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) said:
"Every survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking deserves a safe place to call home. 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."
- Sandra Park, Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU Women's Rights Project, said:
"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. This bill will provide important protections from discrimination that will enable survivors to access secure housing for themselves and their families."
- The bill is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, the National Homelessness Law Center, and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Tell your reps to support or oppose this bill
—Emma Kansiz
(Photo Credit: Canva)
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I believe all men who batter women should be instantly castrated. I've watched my dad slap my mom on many occasions because he didn't know how to handle his frustrations. If I had been old enough and was able to reach one of his many guns, I would have had to relieve him of his frustrations by giving him a few bullets. When a man hits a woman, his manly hood is instantly null and void.
I don't see this bill passing and it shouldn't. That said, even tho there are measure in place to protect women, they and children are still the most vulnerable of the vulnerables.
As a long time landlord I have delt with NYC rent controls as well as the free markets. Trust me, many abuse subsidized rents and for the mom & pop landlords profiting isn't always a sure thing. But women and children still take the brunt.
So in turn I provide well below market value housing for over a decade to such an individual. Not because I could always afford to, but just because it was the right thing to do.
It seems to me humanity...., has lost it's meaning these days.
I support H.R.2918 which helps survivors of domestic violence find/keep affordable housing. The inability to access affordable housing is one of the many reasons people stay in violent relationships.
It would also help if we had Universal Healthcare...another reason people stay in violent situations...as their healthcare is tied to being married to their partner.
It would also help if we could mandate a law which prevents those arrested for domestic abuse from obtaining or keeping weapons. "Around 4.5 million women in the United States have been threatened with a gun, and nearly 1 million women have been shot or shot at by an intimate partner. Over half of all intimate partner homicides are committed with guns. Indeed, a woman is five times more likely to be murdered when her abuser has access to a gun."
https://efsgv.org/learn/type-of-gun-violence/domestic-violence-and-firearms/
Reps,
Please support H.R.2918 - 118th: Fair Housing for Survivors Act of 2023
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2918/text?s=2&r=322
There should be unquestioned bipartisan support for victims of Domestic Violence!
The Senate should fully support this as well.
Best.
Bipartisan legislation with 52 cosponsors to provide protection for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and sex trafficking under the Fair Housing Act with a 3% chance of being enacted because Only 11% of bills made it past committee and only about 2% were enacted in 2021–2023.
Republican lead House is only interested in investigations for campaign PR & fund raising and not actually passing legislation.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2918/all-actions-without-amendments
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/118/hr2918
This will never pass. It will stall and die out. The reason being is that the GOP neither cares about children, nor women. They talk a big game, but at the end of the day they do not care. It's easy to see by the actions of the GOP: They refused to pass a child marriage law; They strip funding and benefits for children in the Foster Care system: They strip benefits and programs to help the poor children; They want children to work in dangerous situations and do away with child labor laws; Tbey strip rights away from women bit by bit.
Due to the GOP , everyone is in danger. Every minority, every woman, and every child.
Unless you are a well-off cis white male the GOP cares nothing about you.
It's disgusting.
We should put in place all manner of protections for victims of DV, SA, and HT. No victime of these crimes should lose their housing just because some asshole thinks s/he has a right to abuse anyone. I get it that landlords should get their rent and should not have to suffer because of someone else's cruelty, thus make the damn abuser pay the rent or mortgage. These types of crimes cannot be tolerated.
I believe we should not make Anyone who is the victim os domestic violence . But the landlords need their money. I believe the government should pay their rent , for a time. Let them find another place they can pay . I would think someone who suffers from DV. I'm just saying .... maybe the courts can make the Abuser should pay for the rent . If it was forever, the people you are reciviving help. Forever. They won't have a chance to get out of it? There are a lot ogpf homeless people and DV survive it, they should get all the help to relax for a time, but then try to fupind work. That will help people to feel like a real person . They will have a purpose in life.