Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) introduced the bipartisan Fair Housing for Survivors Act, a vital legislative framework to help protect far more survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and sex trafficking from eviction and housing discrimination. They were joined by 43 original cosponsors in the House, and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), will lead this bicameral effort in the Senate.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides legal protections to trafficking and domestic and sexual violence survivors who live in public or Section 8-based housing. Yet the same eviction and discrimination safeguards do not exist for those who face similar abuses and seek housing in the private market. The Fair Housing for Survivors Act would build up current federal protections, expand them to private living accommodations, and encourage states to adopt similar measures.

"We cannot continue to force survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking into an impossible choice between forced confinement with their abusers, or living on the streets," said Wasserman Schultz. "Even as they face daily abuse and exploitation, people are evicted or denied housing based on the outlandish grounds that they're involved in criminal activity. Discrimination like this, which overwhelmingly hurts women and children, must end now. So, I'm very proud to work across the aisle to break this cycle of injustice and help people find safe harbor from abuse."

"Every survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking deserves a safe place to call home," said Malliotakis. "I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Fair Housing for Survivors Act to ensure survivors have the necessary resources to rebuild their lives free from abuse, protect them from unfair discrimination in the private housing market and provide them with support to escape abusive environments."

"We know that people who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence and sex-trafficking are more likely to face homelessness. At the federal level, we should be making every effort to help survivors heal - and access to safe, stable housing is a critical component," said Shaheen. "I'm proud to introduce this commonsense bicameral legislation with bipartisan support to enhance existing protections so that survivors have the legal support they deserve to land on their feet and build better lives."

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, one in three women and one in four men experience violence or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Ninety percent of homeless women report severe physical or sexual violence in their lives, including sexual exploitation and trafficking. And 84 percent of survivors in domestic violence shelters reported that they needed help finding affordable housing, while more than half of victims who identified a need for housing services, did not receive them.

This legislation is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Freedom Network USA, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, the National Homelessness Law Center, the National Housing Law Project, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), and the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

If enacted, the Fair Housing for Survivors act would:

• Build on protections in the Violence Against Women Act with respect to domestic violence and expand those to private housing.
• Add 'survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and severe forms of trafficking' to the list of protected classes under the Fair Housing Act, establishing a clear standard across the country that those victimized by domestic violence, sexual violence, or sex trafficking cannot be evicted or otherwise penalized for being victims of those crimes.
• Allows the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Justice to more effectively protect victims of domestic violence and sexual violence.
• Encourage more states to adopt similar protections at the state level.