Fair Housing for Survivors Act of 2026

experience homelessness than those who do not. (H) A majority of survivors who experience a sexual assault in their home do not relocate to a safe environment because they do not have sufficient funds, have a past eviction or criminal record related to their experience as a survivor, are not aware of temporary shelter and housing resources available to survivors, or suffer from trauma that can make relocation feel impossible. (I) Survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault often face eviction based on a single incident of violence. (8) Domestic and sexual violence survivors 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. (9) Domestic and sexual violence survivors continue to face discrimination in securing and maintaining housing based on their status as survivors and as a result of abuse committed against them. (10) Survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault are commonly denied housing opportunities if a previous residence of the survivor was a domestic violence shelter, if the survivor has secured a protective order, or if there is other evidence that the survivor has experienced a previous domestic violence incident. (11) Securing safe and affordable housing for survivors is a fundamental component of ending domestic and sexual violence. 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 such terms are defined 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) `Severe forms of trafficking in persons' has the meaning given the term in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102). ``(s) `Coercion' has the meaning given the term in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102). ``(t) `Survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons' includes any person who experienced or is perceived to have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons.''; (2) in section 804 (42 U.S.C. 3604)-- (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``or national origin'' and inserting ``national origin, or whether a person is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons''; (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``or national origin'' and inserting ``national origin, or whether a person is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons''; (C) in subsection (c), by striking ``or national origin'' and inserting ``national origin, or whether a person is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons''; (D) in subsection (d), by striking ``or national origin'' and inserting ``national origin, or whether a person is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons''; and (E) in subsection (e), by striking ``or national origin'' and inserting ``national origin, or whether a person is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons''; (3) in section 805 (42 U.S.C. 3605)-- (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``or national origin'' and inserting ``national origin, or whether a person is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons''; and (B) in subsection (c), by striking ``or familial status'' and inserting ``familial status, or whether a person is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons''; (4) in section 806 (42 U.S.C. 3606), by striking ``or national origin'' and inserting ``national origin, or whether a person is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons''; (5) in section 807 (42 U.S.C. 3607), by adding at the end the following: ``(c) Nothing in this title shall prohibit a Federal, State, unit of local government, or other assistance or preference program from being designed to assist or benefit survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons in seeking, securing, or maintaining dwellings, shelters, or any other form of housing for such survivors, including associated notices, statements, or advertisements of such dwelling.''; and (6) in section 808(e)(6) (42 U.S.C. 3608(e)(6)), by inserting ``status as a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons,'' after ``handicap,''. (b) Prevention of Intimidation in Fair Housing Cases.--Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3631) is amended-- (1) in section 901 (42 U.S.C. 3631)-- (A) in the matter preceding subsection (a), by inserting ``or coercion'' after ``threat of force''; (B) in subsection (a), by striking ``or national origin'' and inserting ``national origin, or because the person is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons''; (C) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``or national origin'' and inserting ``national origin, or because a person is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons''; and (D) in subsection (c), by striking ``or national origin'' and inserting ``national origin, or because a person is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons''; and (2) by inserting after section 901 the following: ``SEC. 902. DEFINITIONS. ``In this title, the terms `domestic violence', `sexual assault', `severe forms of trafficking in persons', `coercion', and `survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons' shall have the meaning given such terms in section 802.''. (c) Preservation of Survivors' Ability To Recover for Other Forms of Discrimination.--Nothing in this Act, or an amendment made by this Act, shall be interpreted to limit the ability of survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in persons to recover for any other claims of discrimination under the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.), including with respect to failure to conform to gender stereotypes or policies that disproportionately affect women. <all>