Collinsville Daily News wrote about HLLI’s federal class-action lawsuit challenging Virginia’s Fair Housing Law, arguing that it unlawfully forces landlords to submit to warrantless inspections of their property, records, and electronic devices.
The lawsuit, filed by The Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, targets provisions of Virginia’s Fair Housing Law that prohibit landlords from refusing tenants based solely on how they pay rent, including through federal housing vouchers.
The plaintiffs say the law goes beyond preventing discrimination and instead compels private property owners to take part in a federal program they say carries additional administrative requirements, inspections and contractual obligations.
Virginia added “source of income” as a protected class under its fair housing statute in 2020 This makes it illegal for landlords to reject applicants solely because they use housing assistance or other lawful payment sources.
Read more at Collinsville Daily News.