The recent release by Fairfax County of the Fair Housing Rental, Sales, Lending Testing Report conducted from June 2019 to March 2021 was a stark reminder that discriminatory Fair Housing practices are still occurring in our area.

The Virginia General Assembly during the 2020 session revised the Virginia Fair Housing Law to include “source of funds” as a newly protected class effective July 1, 2020. According to the Guidance Document issued by the Virginia Real Estate Board (VREB), the primary impetus for the bill was to protect prospective renters and buyers from discrimination if they intended to pay for housing using a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV).