CA Fair Employment and Housing Act
As of January 2020, the State of California amended the Fair Employment and Housing Act to include “source of income” as a form of discrimination, which means landlords cannot reject a participant solely because they are using tenant-based rental assistance. Here is some information for both landlords and voucher participants:
How to Identify Income Discrimination: Since this is a new law, tenants and landlords may be unfamiliar with it with what is types of activities are now considered now illegal. The following scenarios are common examples of Section 8 discrimination:
- Rental advertisements containing phrases such as “No Section 8”
- Requiring minimum income levels
- Denying rental incentives or repairs
What to Do When Discrimination Occurs: This is a state law and therefore, HUD is not able to take enforcement actions against non-compliant landlords. However, complaints can be made to the State of California by calling 1-800-884-1684.
Resources:
- DFEH’s Source of Income FAQ: https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2020/02/SourceofIncomeFAQ_ENG.pdf
- DFEH Housing Website: https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/housing/#looksLikeBody
- Source of Income Law Frequently Asked Questions: (https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2020/02/SourceofIncomeFAQ_ENG.pdf
