AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FAIR HOUSING.

This Act revises the Fair Housing Act to repeal the exception to discrimination based on source of income that allows a landlord to discriminate against tenants who participate in government-sponsored rental assistance programs. This exemption contributes to a lack of affordable housing in this State. There is currently a severe shortage of affordable housing for extremely low-income households in Delaware, with only 38 affordable rental units available for every 100 extremely low-income households. In addition, studies have shown that people who use government subsidies to move from high-poverty neighborhoods to communities with more opportunity have measurable health improvements and the children in these families earn more in adulthood than children who remain in high-poverty neighborhoods. Nine states and the District of Columbia have fair housing laws that protect against discrimination based on source of income that covers recipients of government subsidies.