Congress should act on the LGBT-inclusive HOME Act

The Task Force is advocating for passage of the recently introduced Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act. This important bill will increase opportunities to fair housing choice and equal access to credit for our community. It will amend the Equal Opportunity Credit Act to prohibit discrimination against LGBT people in credit decisions and amend the Fair Housing Act to prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income or marital status.

This is significant as LGBT people face many obstacles to fair housing and are at a disproportionate rate of homelessness. Specifically, our Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey finds that 19% of respondents were denied a home or apartment and 11% were evicted because they were transgender or gender non-conforming. Considering the current, harsh economic environment, access to affordable housing is a central concern for many LGBT Americans.

The Task Force and other advocates are currently working to secure additional co-sponsors of the bill, which was introduced in the Senate by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and in the House by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.).

Read The Advocate story in which the Task Force’s involvement was cited.

Read the letter of endorsement for the HOME Act from the National Fair Housing Alliance and other civil rights organizations, including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund.