SB 530, which would ban housing discrimination statewide based on source of income, is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee this Friday, February 14!
Please call or email your Senator TODAY and ask them to VOTE FOR the CLEAN bill!
Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee
Sen. Will Smith, Chair (Bill Sponsor), will.smith@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3634
Sen. Jeffrey Waldstreicher, Vice-Chair, jeff.waldstreicher@senate.state.md.us 410-841-3137
Sen. Jill P. Carter, jill.carter@senate.state.md.us, 410-841-3697
Sen. Robert G. Cassilly, Bob.Cassilly@senate.state.md.us, 410-841-3158
Sen. Shelly Hettleman, shelly.hettleman@senate.state.md.us, 410-841-3131
Sen. Michael J. Hough, michael.hough@senate.state.md.us, 410-841-3704
Sen. Susan C. Lee, susan.lee@senate.state.md.us, 410-841-3124
Sen. Justin D. Ready, justin.ready@senate.state.md.us, 410-841-3683
Sen. Charles E. Sydnor, charles.sydnor@senate.state.md.us, 410-841-3612
Sen. Christopher R. West, chris.west@senate.state.md.us, 410-841-3648
Sen. Ronald N. Young, ronald.young@senate.state.md.us, 410-841-3575
Don’t know your state Senator? Check with your address here.
We OPPOSE two amendments:
Imposing a 20% cap on voucher holders. This proposed amendment is contrary to the purpose of fair housing laws and means 80% discrimination against voucher holders. This amendment would also make enforcement very difficult: How does a rejected tenant know whether a landlord or property has hit a certain “cap”? Urge your Senator to vote AGAINST this amendment.
Exemption for small landlords who use realtors. The Maryland fair housing law already provides an exemption for property owners who own two or fewer units, as long as they do not use a realtor. The opposition wants to extend that exemption to landlords who use realtors. Maryland fair housing law has never provided an exemption for landlords who use realtors because once a property owner uses a realtor, they are considered to be “in the business of” being a landlord and are expected to know and understand fair housing law. Urge your Senator to vote AGAINST this amendment.
About source of income discrimination
Source of income discrimination contributes to concentrations of poverty, racially segregated housing and homelessness. Over 90 local jurisdictions and 15 states prohibit this practice, including six counties and three cities in Maryland. In 2017, the American Bar Association adopted policy urging governments to prohibit the practice. It is time for Maryland to stop allowing this form of housing discrimination! Read more about local and statewide efforts to ban source of income discrimination in housing here.
For more information about SB 530, contact Antonia Fasanelli at afasanelli@hprplaw.org or Matt Hill at hillm@publicjustice.org.
A full list of coalition members supporting the Maryland HOME Act is available here.
