Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to prevent discrimination in housing based on the source of income, specifically targeting cases where tenants are using government-funded rental assistance or housing choice vouchers.

Main Provisions

• Prohibition on Discrimination: The bill makes it illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants or prospective tenants because they use federal, state, or local rental assistance programs, including housing choice vouchers, to pay their rent.
• Equal Opportunity in Renting: Landlords cannot deny a tenant the chance to view or apply for a rental unit based on their use of such rental assistance programs.
• Advertising Restrictions: Landlords are also prohibited from advertising that they do not rent to individuals using rental assistance or housing vouchers.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 363A.09, by adding new regulations that explicitly prevent landlords from discriminating against tenants using public assistance for rent. Previously, source-of-income discrimination may not have been explicitly covered under existing discrimination protections in the housing sector.

Relevant Terms

• Source of income discrimination
• Housing assistance
• Rental assistance
• Housing choice voucher
• Public assistance in housing