Take action to support Housing Access for Immigrant Families!

The Vermont legislature is considering a bill to expand housing access for immigrant families. Developed by Migrant Justice and supported by dozens of organizations and agencies, the proposal​​ would stop discrimination against immigrants and prevent landlords from asking about immigration status.

Vermont's legislators need to hear from you! Take a moment to email your Senators and Representatives to voice your support for Housing Access for Immigrant Families.

As more and more immigrant families move to the state and look to make Vermont their home, they encounter steep barriers to finding adequate housing. Many landlords require documentation status, while others will charge higher rent or additional deposits once they realize prospective tenants have limited options. These discriminatory practices push many immigrants into employer-provided housing, which is often overcrowded and substandard, and which increases vulnerability to abuse and exploitation on the job.

The Housing Access for Immigrant Families bill adds citizenship and immigration status as a protected class to Vermont's Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act, creating new protections for those facing discrimination. It additionally stops landlords from asking for a Social Security number during the rental application process and instead directs them to accept any government-issued identification. Read more for background​ on the bill​. These changes are vital to allowing immigrant families to access housing in our state.

The House bill (H.169​) is principally sponsored by Representative Leonora Dodge (Chittenden-23), Representative Kevin Christie (Windsor-6), and Representative Esme Cole (Windsor-6) and additionally sponsored by 40 other Representatives. In the Senate, the proposal is included in the Senate Economic Development Committee's omnibus housing bill. 

The campaign is supported by a coalition of community organizations and government agencies, including Migrant Justice, Housing and Homelessness Alliance of Vermont, Vermont Human Rights Commission, Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, Center for Justice Reform of the Vermont Law and Graduate School, ACLU-VT, VT-NH Asylum Seekers Network, Spectrum Youth and Family ServicesAssociation of Africans Living in Vermont. Voices for Vermont Children. The Root Social Justice Center. Community Resilience Organizations. Vermont Workers’ Center. FreeHer VT, Leaves of Change VT, 350 Vermont and Vermont Asylum Assistance Project.

Send an email to your legislators today encouraging them to support Housing Access for Immigrant Families!