Migrant farmworkers, advocates urge committee to bar Social Security number checks and add immigration status protections for renters

Advocates and migrant workers told the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee that a common rental practice—requiring Social Security numbers on applications—is denying many workers access to housing and limiting their employment choices.

Sonia Cruz, a farmworker and leader in the migrant justice movement, said the requirement forces many families to remain tied to employer-provided housing or overcrowded living conditions: "If you cannot find a house, where are you going to be able to work?" Cruz said. She and other witnesses urged the committee to extend fair-housing protections to cover citizenship and immigration status and to prohibit landlords from refusing applicants solely because they lack a Social Security number.

Why it matters: Committee staff identified sections 7–9 of draft 2.2 as the relevant fair-housing language under consideration. Witnesses said the problem is primarily a…