Will the HOME Act Become Law in 2011? Should It?

A bill by the House introduced earlier this month promises to "modernize" the Fair Housing Act (FHA) if passed, supporters say.

H.R. 6500, known as the Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act, would greatly expand federal protections against housing discrimination across the United States.

In its current form, the HOME Act would:

• add sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, and marital status as protected classes;
  
  
• reinforce existing protections for people who are discriminated against after they have already rented or purchased a home;
  
  
• allow the public to hold municipalities accountable for failing to advance fair housing laws;
  
  
• expand the definition of "familial status" to include "anyone standing in loco parentis" of a child under 18 years of age;
  
  
• improve the Department of Justice's (DOJ) ability to investigate potential fair housing and fair lending violations; and
  
  
• clarify and strengthen protections for people with disabilities.

For more information about the HOME Act, take a look at this excellent section-by-section commentary by the National Fair Housing Alliance.

Do you think the HOME Act will become law in 2011? Should it? Do you agree with the law's supporters that it's time to modernize the FHA?

What do you think?