The federal Fair Housing Act, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), protects persons from housing discrimination on seven different bases: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and familial status. As a HUD-certified Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP), the County enforces the federal Fair Housing Act as part of its Fair Housing Program. Through the Fair Housing Program, the County also enforces the County's Human Rights Act (the "Act"), which protects persons from housing discrimination on the above-mentioned federally-recognized protected bases as well as six additional bases: age, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, pregnancy, and gender identity or expression.
On August 22, 2017, the Board of County Commissioners (the "Board") directed the Office of the County Attorney, in coordination with OIAPS, to review the fair housing Ordinances of other local jurisdictions, including Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami, to identify additional bases of protection from housing discrimination for inclusion within the County's Fair Housing Program. At a minimum, the Board requested that the above-mentioned review include whether the Act could include prohibitions on discrimination based on military and veteran status, source of lawful income (e.g., excluding recipients of public housing subsidies), and whether someone is a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking.
The Office of the County Attorney, with the assistance of OIAPS, has evaluated Ordinances related to housing discrimination from multiple local jurisdictions throughout the United States, including Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami. Based on this evaluation, the following additional bases of protection from housing discrimination are addressed in the proposed Code amendment: service member and veteran status, source of lawful income, and whether someone is a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. |