Equality Arlington Applauds Arlington County’s Plans to Enhance Civil Rights and Fair Housing Enforcement
Equality Arlington, an LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit, applauds Arlington County Manager, Mark Schwartz, for announcing plans to create a new Human Rights and Fair Housing Enforcement Office as part of his FY2028 budget proposal. Equality Arlington, along with the NAACP Arlington Branch, Housing Commission, and other civil rights organizations, have been working with the Arlington County Board and County Manager for years to align county resources with the civil rights enforcement and education needs within the community.
“We are very excited to hear the County Manager’s announcement that the FY2028 county budget will include a proposal for a new Human Rights and Fair Housing Enforcement Office and critical resources to ensure that county residents’ and workers’ employment, housing, credit, and public accommodation rights are enforced. This is a significant step forward for the County Board and County Manager on top of several actions in the last couple of years to address gaps in outreach, education, and enforcement in the civil rights and fair housing space. We look forward to continuing to work with Arlington’s elected and appointed leaders to ensure that all residents and workers are protected from discrimination and have a strong defender within county government,” said Kellen MacBeth, President of Equality Arlington.
Arlington County’s Human Rights Ordinance, first adopted in 1989, includes protections in employment, housing, credit, and public accommodation based on 12 protected characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity. Under the County Manager’s proposal, the existing Office of Human Rights would be split into two offices:
Human Rights and Fair Housing Enforcement Office focused on enforcement of the Human Rights Ordinance, including intake and investigation of external discrimination complaints, use and oversight of contract investigators, community education, support for the Human Rights Commission, and pursuit of investigative findings through Commission hearings and court action that will enhance a bias-free rental and employment market in the County.
Office of Equal Employment & ADA Programs focused on County workforce EEO investigations, ADA/Section 504 employee accommodations, Title VI/ADA/Section 504 compliance for County programs and services, and training for the County workforce and County program providers.
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