Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass with amendment a bill that prohibits housing discrimination against Section 8 housing renters.

Highlights:

• Specifies that it is the intent of the legislature by enacting this act to provide a participant in a housing voucher program an opportunity to receive a thorough and fair vetting when they seek housing (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that it shall be unlawful for the owner of any housing accommodation to discriminate against, evict, harass, or make a written or oral inquiry against any person because of the following, including (Sec. 3):

• Race, color, or religion;

• Sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation;

• Marital status, national origin, ancestry, and familial status; or

• Source of income, disability, or genetic information.

• Prohibits any individual from printing or publishing any notice, statement, or advertisement for the sale or rental of a housing accommodation that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on the following, including (Sec. 3):

• Race, color, or religion;

• Sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation;

• Marital status, national origin, ancestry, and familial status; or

• Source of income, disability, or genetic information.

• Prohibits any real estate-related business, bank, mortgage company, or other financial institution that provides financial assistance for the purchase, organization, or construction of any housing accommodation to discriminate against any person or group of persons because of the following, including (Sec. 3):

• Race, color, or religion;

• Sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation;

• Marital status, national origin, ancestry, and familial status; or

• Source of income, disability, or genetic information.

• Defines “affirmative actions” as any activity for the purpose of eliminating discrimination in housing accommodations because of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, or disability (Sec. 2).

• Defines “discrimination” as refusal to sell, rent, or lease housing accommodation, including refusal to negotiate for sale, rental, or lease of housing accommodations, as well as representation that a housing accommodation is not available for inspection, sale, or rental when the housing accommodation is, in fact, available (Sec. 2).

• Specifies that discrimination does not include either of the following, including (Sec. 2):

• Refusal to rent or lease a portion of an owner-occupied single-family house to a person as a roomer or boarder living within the household provided that no more than 1 roomer or boarder is to live within the household; and

• The use of the words stating or tending to imply that the housing being advertised is available only to persons of one sex when the sharing of living areas is a single dwelling unit.

• Defines “housing accommodation” as any building, structure, or portion thereof that is occupied as, or intended for occupancy as a residence by 1 or more families (Sec. 2).

• Defines “owner” as a lessee, sublessee, assignee, managing agent, real estate broker or salesperson, or any person having any legal or equitable right of ownership or possession or the right to rent or lease housing accommodations (Sec. 2).

• Defines an “aggrieved person” as any person who claims to have been injured by a discriminatory housing practice or believes that the person will be injured by a discriminatory housing practice that is about to occur (Sec. 2).

• Defines “source of income” as lawful, verifiable income paid directly to a tenant or to a representative of a tenant, including federal, state or local public assistance, and federal, state, or local housing subsidies, including federal housing assistance vouchers issued under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (Sec. 2).

• Defines for the purpose of this act “race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, disability, and genetic information,” to include a perception that the person has any of those characteristics (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that making a written or oral inquiry concerning the level of income shall not constitute discrimination (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits housing discrimination against Section 8 housing renters.

Highlights:

• Specifies that it is the intent of the legislature by enacting this act to provide a participant in a housing voucher program an opportunity to receive a thorough and fair vetting when they seek housing (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that it shall be unlawful for the owner of any housing accommodation to discriminate against, evict, harass, or make a written or oral inquiry against any person because of the following, including (Sec. 3):

• Race, color, or religion;

• Sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation;

• Marital status, national origin, ancestry, and familial status; or

• Source of income, disability, or genetic information.

• Prohibits any individual from printing or publishing any notice, statement, or advertisement for the sale or rental of a housing accommodation that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on the following, including (Sec. 3):

• Race, color, or religion;

• Sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation;

• Marital status, national origin, ancestry, and familial status; or

• Source of income, disability, or genetic information.

• Prohibits any real estate-related business, bank, mortgage company, or other financial institution that provides financial assistance for the purchase, organization, or construction of any housing accommodation to discriminate against any person or group of persons because of the following, including (Sec. 3):

• Race, color, or religion;

• Sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation;

• Marital status, national origin, ancestry, and familial status; or

• Source of income, disability, or genetic information.

• Defines “affirmative actions” as any activity for the purpose of eliminating discrimination in housing because of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, or disability (Sec. 2).

• Defines “discrimination” as refusal to sell, rent, or lease housing accommodation, including refusal to negotiate for sale, rental, or lease of housing accommodations, as well as representation that a housing accommodation is not available for inspection, sale, or rental when the housing accommodation is, in fact, available (Sec. 2).

• Specifies that discrimination does not include either of the following, including (Sec. 2):

• Refusal to rent or lease a portion of an owner-occupied single-family house to a person as a roomer or boarder living within the household provided that no more than 1 roomer or boarder is to live within the household; and

• The use of the words stating or tending to imply that the housing being advertised is available only to persons of one sex when the sharing of living areas is a single dwelling unit.

• Defines “housing accommodation” as any building, structure, or portion thereof that is occupied as, or intended for occupancy as a residence by 1 or more families (Sec. 2).

• Defines “owner” as a lessee, sublessee, assignee, managing agent, real estate broker or salesperson, or any person having any legal or equitable right of ownership or possession or the right to rent or lease housing accommodations (Sec. 2).

• Defines an “aggrieved person” as any person who claims to have been injured by a discriminatory housing practice or believes that the person will be injured by a discriminatory housing practice that is about to occur (Sec. 2).

• Defines “source of income” as lawful, verifiable income paid directly to a tenant, including federal, state or local public assistance, and federal, state, or local housing subsidies, including federal housing assistance vouchers issued under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (Sec. 2).

• Defines for the purpose of this act “race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, disability, and genetic information,” to include a perception that the person has any of those characteristics (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that making a written or oral inquiry concerning the level of income shall not constitute discrimination (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text