DE SB179

Adds "source of income" as a protected class in Delaware's fair housing laws, prohibiting discrimination based on lawful sources of money including employment income and government assistance payments.

Defines "source of income" to include income from any lawful profession or occupation, and income or rental payments from government or private assistance, grants, or loans.

Prohibits discrimination in housing sales, rentals, real estate transactions, brokerage services, and advertising based on source of income, with penalties including fines up to $2,500 and imprisonment up to 1 year for violations.

Allows landlords to consider sufficiency and sustainability of income and credit ratings applied in a commercially reasonable manner, and permits landlords to opt out of government rental assistance programs without legal penalty.

Applies protections across Title 6 (fair housing) and Title 25 (landlord-tenant) of Delaware Code, with housing authorities permitted to restrict employees from renting to persons receiving assistance to prevent conflicts of interest.