Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2025
Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2025 would expand the protections of the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination based on (1) source of income, (2) veteran status, and (3) military status. The bill defines these terms and adds them as protected characteristics across the Act’s housing-related prohibitions, making it unlawful for housing providers to treat people differently because of the income they receive (including vouchers and other subsidies), or whether they are veterans or currently serving in the uniformed services. It also strengthens enforcement by updating related civil rights protections to cover these new categories, and creates a transitional certification window for federal agencies enforcing these provisions. The overall aim is to broaden access to housing for people who rely on housing assistance, are veterans, or are in military service, while clarifying permissible services related to housing assistance and extending enforcement reach. Key provisions include definitional expansions (source of income, veteran status, military status), incorporation of these protections throughout the Fair Housing Act’s provisions (discrimination, enforcement, and related remedies), a clarification that service providers can continue to offer housing assistance and related services, an intimidation prevention update to include these categories, and a transitional certification period for agency compliance lasting 40 months (with a possible 6-month extension in exceptional circumstances).
Key Points
- 1Prohibits discrimination in housing based on source of income, veteran status, or military status, and defines these terms for clarity (military status = current member of the uniformed services; veteran status = former member).
- 2Expands the Fair Housing Act’s protected classes to include source of income (including housing vouchers, various forms of housing assistance, Social Security benefits, child/spousal support, trust income, savings/investments, and other lawful income) and broadens protections across multiple sections of the Act (802, 804, 805, 806, 808).
- 3Clarifies that housing providers or entities offering housing-related services may continue to provide such services or assistance to individuals receiving housing assistance, ensuring access to necessary supports.
- 4Adds disability-style protections to intimidation provisions by including the new categories in the Civil Rights Act’s anti-intimidation language, strengthening remedies for threatened or coerced discrimination.
- 5Establishes a transitional certification period for agencies enforcing these provisions: 40 months from enactment, with potential up to a 6-month extension in exceptional circumstances, to allow agencies to achieve compliance.