In 2020, Virginia added “status as a veteran” to the list of protected categories under the Virginia Fair Housing Act. In 2021, this was updated to “military status”, creating a broader protection for our servicemembers.

As we honor Veterans Day 2021, it seemed a good opportunity to reflect on this addition and update to the law.

While “status as a veteran” wasn’t defined, the 2021 update provided more information on who is protected under the new military status category.

In Virginia, military status is defined as:

• Member of the uniformed services or a reserve component of a service, including Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard.
• A veteran, who is someone that served in the active military and was released or discharged under conditions other than dishonorable; and,
• A dependent who receives at least 50% of their support from the servicemember.

This means that our servicemembers and their dependents are protected from housing discrimination in Virginia.

If you have any questions regarding this article, we encourage you to contact the Virginia REALTORS^® Legal Hotline.