Laura Dobbs of Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia told the County Board on Oct. 18 that recent testing commissioned by the county and additional testing by the Human Rights Initiative found persistent housing discrimination in Arlington.

"Renters feel stigmatized, mistreated, and powerless," Dobbs said, urging the board to amend the county’s Human Rights Ordinance and to prioritize enforcement and education within the Office of Human Rights.

Dobbs thanked the county for recent steps, including a regional fair housing plan, adding source-of-funds protections to the Human Rights Ordinance and funding for fair housing in the FY2026 budget. Still, she said more is needed as federal enforcement retreats: "As the federal government abandons fair housing enforcement, it's more important than ever that local jurisdictions like Arlington lead," she told the board.

County leaders acknowledged the findings. Chair Takis Carantonis said the county’s testing results align with the testimony and that staff and the board are working on better ways to monitor and enforce fair-housing protections. The board noted the increased stakes when economic pressure rises and emphasized the need to protect residents from retaliation and discrimination.

No ordinance change was adopted at the meeting; the speakers asked the board to consider legal revisions the Arlington NAACP and HOMES proposed in December 2024 to strengthen the Office of Human Rights' tools and enforcement authority.

The discussion signals pressure on local government to expand enforcement, legal remedies and tenant education to address documented patterns of discrimination.