The federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 is a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination by housing providers and ensures that everyone has equal access to housing. In 1988, when the U.S. Congress strengthened the law, the U.S Senate approved Senator Thurmond’s amendment to exclude individuals convicted of drug manufacturing or distribution from the protections of the Fair Housing Act. This means that landlords can legally deny people housing based solely on a drug manufacturing or distribution conviction, with absolutely no consideration of the circumstances of the conviction. However, studies have shown that an individual with a prior conviction who has not committed a crime for at least seven years has the same odds of committing a crime as an individual with no prior criminal history. We should be making decisions based on data and evidence, not on outdated narratives.  
 
That is why I am introducing legislation to correct this decades-old mistake by prohibiting landlords from considering drug distribution convictions older than seven years and to require individualized assessments that consider the unique circumstances of such convictions. By taking a more nuanced approach to drug distribution convictions, landlords will still be able to maintain the safety of their tenants while giving individuals with less severe drug distribution convictions a chance to have safe and stable housing.
 
Individuals who complete prison sentences face so many obstacles, including finding housing. Access to safe and stable housing reduces recidivism rates and ultimately lowers costs to taxpayers. Please join me in co-sponsoring this needed legislation to reform and improve the fairness of our housing laws.