Housing advocates tell board county testing shows persistent discrimination; speakers ask for ordinance changes and stronger enforcement

Summary

Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia told the Arlington County Board that 2024 county-commissioned testing and 2025 Human Rights Initiative testing show ongoing discrimination by source of funds, familial status, national origin and disability; the group urged amending the human rights ordinance and prioritizing enforcement and education.

At the Oct. 18 public-comment session, Laura Dobbs of Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia urged the Arlington County Board to amend the county human rights ordinance and prioritize enforcement after local testing revealed continuing housing discrimination.

Dobbs cited testing commissioned by the county in 2024 and subsequent testing by the Human Rights Initiative in 2025 as evidence of persistent discrimination she said affects voucher holders and other tenants. She asked the board to align the human rights ordinance with federal and Virginia fair-housing laws and to devote resources to enforcement and education to ensure residents know their rights and feel empowered to report violations.

"Clearly the status quo is unacceptable," Dobbs said, and she commended recent steps — including a regional fair-housing plan and source-of-funds protections in the county's ordinance — while urging additional legal updates and funding for enforcement.

Chair Carantonis acknowledged the testing results, said the county is actively collaborating with staff on enforcement, and committed to continuing work on fair-housing enforcement as economic stress increases demands on renters.