New Study Shows Discrimination Against Same-Sex Couples in Rental Housing Market

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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released a groundbreaking large-scale study today, which found that same-sex couples experience less favorable treatment than heterosexual couples in the online rental housing market. The study found that heterosexual couples were more likely to receive a favorable response regarding a prospective rental over gay male couples 15.9 percent of the time and over lesbian couples 15.6 percent of the time.

“This study’s results are disturbing and confirm something we’ve all suspected but didn’t have the firm data to prove – lesbian and gay couples are discriminated against when they look for places to live,” said Ian Thompson, American Civil Liberties Union legislative representative. “Conducting this study is yet another example of HUD demonstrating its commitment to the LGBT community. But we desperately need congressional action so that the Fair Housing Act is amended to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”

The study is available at huduser.org/portal/publications/fairhsg/discrim_samesex.html.