I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2542 
To provide protection for survivors of domestic violence or sexual violence 
under the Fair Housing Act. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 14, 2021 
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (for herself, Mr. CARSON, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. 
KUSTER, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. 
OMAR, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Ms. NOR-
TON, Mrs. TORRES of California, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. 
JOHNSON of Texas, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. COOPER, Ms. LEE 
of California, Mr. TORRES of New York, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. RASKIN, Mrs. 
WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia, Mr. 
HORSFORD, Ms. ROSS, and Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To provide protection for survivors of domestic violence or 
sexual violence under the Fair Housing Act. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fair Housing for Do-
mestic Violence and Sexual Violence Survivors Act of 
2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Cities, towns, and rural communities in the 
United States continue to face enormous challenges 
regarding domestic violence, sexual assault, sex traf-
ficking, dating violence, stalking, and other forms of 
intimate partner and gender-based violence. 
(2) One in 3 women have experienced rape, 
physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner 
in their lifetime. 
(3) Approximately 7,000,000 women are raped 
or physically assaulted by a current or former inti-
mate partner each year. 
(4) Among women experiencing sex trafficking, 
many of their traffickers are also their intimate 
partners. 
(5) Each day, an average of 3 women are killed 
by a current or former partner. 
(6) Researchers estimate that domestic violence 
costs employers up to $13,000,000,000 each year. 
(7) A fundamental component of ending domes-
tic and sexual violence is securing safe and afford-
able housing for victims. 
(8) Research indicates that— 
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(A) nearly 50 percent of all homeless 
women report that domestic violence was the 
immediate cause of their homelessness; 
(B) 92 percent of homeless women report 
having experienced severe physical or sexual vi-
olence at some point in their lives, including 
sexual exploitation and trafficking; 
(C) victims become homeless as a result of 
sexual assault, and once homeless, are vulner-
able to further sexual victimization and exploi-
tation including sex trafficking; 
(D) women of color in the lowest income 
category experience 6 times the rate of nonfatal 
intimate partner violence compared to white 
women in the highest income category; 
(E) poor women of color, domestic violence 
victims, and women with children have a high 
risk of eviction; 
(F) vulnerable women are also at risk of 
sex trafficking and exploitation by landlords 
who pressure them for sex in exchange for rent 
or a delay in rent payments; and 
(G) approximately 38 percent of all victims 
of domestic violence become homeless at some 
point in their life. 
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(9) Surveys show that a majority of victims who 
experience a sexual assault in their home do not re-
locate to a safe environment because they do not 
have sufficient funds and are not aware of better op-
tions. 
(10) Domestic and sexual violence victims often 
find themselves trapped in homes where they are 
further victimized by caregivers, parents, siblings, 
landlords, intimate partners, neighbors, or others in 
or near their home. Economic insecurity and the 
trauma that often follows sexual violence make it 
difficult, if not impossible, for many victims to ac-
cess safe, affordable housing options for themselves 
and their families. 
(11) Domestic and sexual violence victims con-
tinue to face discrimination in securing and main-
taining housing based on their status as victims and 
as a result of crimes committed against them. 
(12) Research by the Attorney General of the 
State of New York found that 67 percent of domes-
tic violence victims reported that discrimination by 
landlords is a significant obstacle in obtaining hous-
ing. 
(13) Research also shows that victims of domes-
tic violence or sexual assault are commonly denied 
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housing opportunities if a previous residence of the 
victim was a domestic violence shelter, if the victim 
has secured a protective order, or if there is other 
evidence that the victim has experienced a previous 
domestic violence incident. 
(14) Studies show that victims of domestic vio-
lence or sexual assault often face eviction based on 
a single domestic violence incident. 
(15) Victims of sex trafficking face additional 
challenges in obtaining and maintaining housing due 
to criminal records incurred as a direct result of 
their exploitation. 
(16) It is in the public interest to ensure that 
victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, sex traf-
ficking, dating violence, stalking, and other forms of 
intimate partner and gender-based violence are not 
discriminated against, particularly with respect to 
housing, based on their status as victims or the 
crimes committed against them. 
(17) Nothing in this Act should be interpreted 
to limit the ability of victims of domestic violence or 
sexual violence to recover for claims of discrimina-
tion on the basis of sex or race under the Fair 
Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.), including 
with respect to failure to conform to gender stereo-
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types or policies that disproportionately affect 
women. 
SEC. 3. SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR SEXUAL 
ASSAULT AS PROTECTED CLASS UNDER THE 
FAIR HOUSING ACT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
3601 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 802 (42 U.S.C. 3602), by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(p) ‘Domestic violence’— 
‘‘(1) has the meaning given the term in section 
40002(a) of the Violence Against Women Act of 
1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291(a)); and 
‘‘(2) includes— 
‘‘(A) dating violence and stalking, as de-
fined in such section 40002(a); and 
‘‘(B) threatened domestic violence. 
‘‘(q) ‘Sexual assault’— 
‘‘(1) has the meaning given the term in section 
40002(a) of the Violence Against Women Act of 
1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291(a)); and 
‘‘(2) includes threatened sexual assault. 
‘‘(r) ‘Sex trafficking’ has the meaning given the term 
in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act 
of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102(12)). 
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