Maryland AG Fights Income-Based Housing Discrimination

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is urging the state’s Supreme Court to protect housing voucher recipients from income-based discrimination.

In an amicus brief, Brown expressed support for Katrina Hare, an elderly woman with disabilities who was denied housing despite having a Housing Choice Voucher that would have covered all but $126 of her rent. The landlord, David Brown Enterprises, rejected her application for failing to meet a $47,700 annual income requirement.

“Vouchers can be a life-saving resource for Marylanders who would otherwise be homeless or do not have stable housing,” Brown said in a statement.

More than 200,000 Marylanders rely on federally funded vouchers for rent, with thousands more using state assistance. The majority of recipients are families with children, people with disabilities, and seniors.

Brown argues that minimum income requirements serve as a loophole to bypass Maryland’s Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act, which prohibits source-of-income discrimination.

If the lower court’s ruling stands, the attorney general’s office warns that landlords may legally exclude voucher holders, even when they can meet rental obligations—potentially undermining housing stability for vulnerable Marylanders.

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