By Catherine Benedict

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WAVY) — U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and other lawmakers introduced a bill to protect veterans and low-income families from housing discrimination.

On Sept. 17, 2025, Sen. Kaine, alongside Adam Schiff (D-CA), and U.S. Representative Scott Peters (D-CA-50), introduced the Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2025. The bill will expand upon the Fair Housing Act of 1968 by adding source of income (SOI) and veteran and military status to the list of protected classes.

The Fair Housing Act of 1968 has routinely changed over time, originally only prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. Currently, the Fair Housing Act of 1968 prevents discriminatory housing practices based on the following:

• Race
• Religion
• Sex
• National origin
• Familial status
• Disability

According to a press release, 2.3 million veterans and low-income households use Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) to pay rent. There have been many reports of discrimination exhibited by landlords when using vouchers in states without SOI protections.

When Sen. Kaine, a former fair housing attorney, first introduced the legislation in 2018, landlords in Virginia and California could deny housing to individuals based on how they paid rent. The Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2025 will enact the following:

• Broaden the Fair Housing Act of 1969 to prohibit discrimination based on “military status,” “veteran status,”, and “source of income.”
• Prohibit landlords from denying housing to individuals who use HCV, HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers, social security benefits, income received through a court order, payment from a trust or guardian, or any other lawful source of income.
• Landlords must comply to the law within 40 months of its enactment

Representative Peters emphasized the importance of accessible housing during a historic housing shortage, “No American should be denied housing because they’re a veteran or receive government assistance, especially as we face a historic housing shortage and unacceptable levels of veteran homelessness. Our bill would make this type of deplorable discrimination illegal.”

The bill is cosponsored by 12 other senators and dozens of national organizations, councils, and establishments.