The Biden administration banned housing discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation and gender identity, but the gain in protections for the LGBTQ community could be tenuous.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order last year, directing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to prohibit discrimination under the Fair Housing Act.

Pam Bean, executive director of Montana Fair Housing, noted the protections were not put into place permanently under the law.

"It was done through executive order, so that can be changed very easily with the next round of elections and who becomes president," Bean pointed out.

Political rhetoric attacking the LGBTQ community ramped up in the lead-up to the midterm elections. In an assessment of the state's policies toward the community, the Movement Advancement Project rates Montana "low."

Bean observed discrimination toward LGBTQ people is still prevalent in the housing realm. She used the example of putting up decorations for the holidays, such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, which is not something a landlord typically receives a complaint about. But it is not always the case for someone who puts up a rainbow flag, for instance.

"Should someone display materials or decorations that involve sexual orientation and/or gender identity support or affiliation, suddenly they start experiencing corrective action notices, up to eviction," Bean noted.

Bean added discrimination has likely been rising as LGBTQ community members have felt more comfortable expressing themselves.

"There has been an increase," Bean reported. "And the increase has occurred because people are more open about their belief system than 'staying in the closet' that has had to occur historically."

Bean emphasized people who believe they have experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity can reach out to Montana Fair Housing or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Native Americans in Montana face a slew of challenges to finding housing off reservations - including discrimination. A tight housing market in the state and across the country presents its own problems for finding an affordable place to live.

But Les Left Hand, program director for All Nation Youth Partner for Success in Billings, said his last name was a barrier for him and his wife when they were looking for a home, and added eventually they used her maiden name on applications.

"When she applied for some of these places as just 'Leslie Martin' they were more open to that until they saw my name on there." he said. "Then that's when the red flags were waved and, of course, some of them were just outright not willing to talk to us."

Left Hand's organization works to prevent drug use among young people ages nine to 20 and he said people they work with, as well as his friends and family, have similar experiences. Rental costs like security deposits and first and last months' rent can be challenges as well. Census data finds more than a quarter of Native Americans live in poverty.

Left Hand said young people especially find it hard to move off their reservations because they are not as financially established.

"It's frustrating for them and that's when they give up and go back home and have to live in a tight, cramped household again because we don't really turn away any of the family members that do come back," Left Hand said. "We just accommodate until they can find a better resource or a different avenue."

Analyses on housing issues for Native Americans are scarce but a study from before the pandemic found 16% of Native Americans reported overcrowding, compared with 2% of the U.S. population as a whole.

Left Hand said organizations like the Native American Development Corporation can help people who feel they have been discriminated against, or are having trouble looking for housing. Most of all, he encourages people to be persistent.

"I'm always willing to help people out and try to steer them in the right direction and then just give them the hope that there is somebody out there that might have an opportunity to open a door and then they succeed in that area," he said. "But then like I tell them, don't give up so easily."

About $3-million has been awarded to Virginia groups helping people facing evictions. The Virginia Eviction Reduction Pilot Program is designed to find effective services for people facing housing instability. According to the R-V-A Virginia Eviction Lab's third quarter report, eviction filings increased 86% from the previous quarter, with Charlottesville seeing some of the largest increases. Much of this is due to pandemic-related renter protections being lifted.

Christie Marra, director of housing advocacy with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, said while this third round of funding is a much-needed financial boost, it is not enough.

"The programs that are getting the funding now are not getting enough to meet the need in their area," Marra said. "And so, while the eviction rates for every locality that has a VERP-funded program serving it did go down, there is a lot of room for improvement."

She added that in the past, one of the groups that received funding went through it in two months. As the Virginia General Assembly's legislative session gets under way, tenant's rights legislation is one issue at the forefront of legislators' minds. One such piece of legislation, the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, seeks to increase the grace period for late rent, and would allow tenants to break leases when they move in and find a unit is uninhabitable.

While these grants are working to alleviate the eviction crisis, Marra hopes proposals for other tenant assistance programs will be taken up as well. One in particular is the Virginia Housing Stability Fund, which would be a state housing voucher program.

Marra acknowledged it won't come cheap, but said this program could aid numerous families.

"What we're asking for is for 90 million, and this would be a one-time ask for this pilot program to serve 5,000 households over the period of four years," she said.

In addition to gathering data, this program will also provide longer-term financial support than most VERP. The program hopes to bridge the gap between the shortage of affordable housing and the numerous Virginians who qualify for the federal housing voucher program, but can't receive it due to limited federal funding.

Washingtonians are being squeezed out of the housing market, and some state lawmakers want to see significant changes to cities' zoning laws to ensure more people with low and middle incomes can afford a place to live.

Alex Freeman-Smith, phlebotomist at the University of Washington Medical Center-Northwest, and union delegate for Service Employees International Union 1199 NW, said many people struggle to live in the community they serve, because the hospital is located in an area surrounded by single-family homes where prices have skyrocketed.

"Some of my coworkers even have to drive as far as from two hours away just to make it to work," Freeman-Smith observed. "And of course, in the event of an emergency, having your emergency staff two hours away isn't really effective for health care."

A measure in the Washington Legislature would lift restrictions on building houses for more than one family, such as duplexes and triplexes. It has bipartisan sponsors. However, at a public hearing on the bill, a spokesman for the Association of Washington Cities expressed concerns infrastructure costs could be passed down to cities.

Anna Fahey, senior director of communications and campaigns at the Northwest-based think tank Sightline Institute, said zoning restrictions drive urban sprawl, which ultimately hurts the environment.

"Most of our cities are zoned, primarily or almost exclusively, for only one kind of housing," Fahey stressed. "The biggest, most expensive kind. It's the kind that fits a single, detached house that sits on a big lot."

The bill proposes up to four homes on a single residential lot would be allowed in cities with populations of 6,000 or greater, or if they are located within the urban growth areas of major cities, like Seattle. It would also allow up to six homes on lots within a half-mile of frequent public transit stops.

Fahey argued it would be a major win, especially for workers.

"They're modest in size and shape, and are going to be available for people near jobs and available at prices that are more affordable to more people," Fahey explained.

The Senate version of the bill is scheduled for a public hearing on Wednesday.