California's Source of Income Protection law (SB 329, effective January 1, 2020) changed how every California property manager and owner has to handle Section 8, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH), and other voucher applicants.
Six years in, here's what we've learned at Driftwood.
What SB 329 actually requires
SB 329 amended the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to add "source of income" as a protected category for housing. Specifically, it prohibits:
- Refusing to rent based on a tenant's lawful source of income — including Section 8 housing choice vouchers, VASH vouchers, social security, disability income, or any other government-issued income source.
- Stating in any rental advertisement a preference based on income source ("no Section 8" advertisements are illegal).
- Treating voucher applicants differently in screening — same credit standards, same income standards (with vouchered portion counted toward income), same lease terms.
What it does NOT require
- Owners are not required to rent to any specific applicant. Standard FCRA-compliant screening (credit, eviction history, criminal history with individualized review) still applies.
- Owners are not required to lower screening standards. The same minimum credit score and income multiple apply to voucher and non-voucher applicants alike.
- Owners are not required to participate in the Section 8 program if they don't want to. However, refusing solely because the applicant holds a voucher is illegal.
How Driftwood handles voucher applicants
We screen voucher applicants the same way we screen any applicant: 660+ credit (with the vouchered portion counted toward income), eviction-free five-year history, FCRA-compliant background check.
For owners who choose to participate in Section 8, we coordinate the housing-authority inspection (typically 7-14 day turnaround in San Diego County), the HAP contract, and the rent-portion split. There's no additional fee.
What this means in practice
Most Driftwood properties are voucher-compatible. Some are not — typically high-end properties where the rent exceeds the local Section 8 payment standard. We disclose voucher compatibility on every listing.
Since 2020, roughly 4% of Driftwood lease signings have involved housing vouchers. The retention rate of voucher tenants in our portfolio is slightly higher than non-voucher tenants (4.8 years vs. 4.1 years).
Questions about applying with a voucher? Email leasing@driftwoodprop.example. Questions as an owner about whether your property is voucher-compatible? Get in touch.
A spring checklist
March is when the marine layer thins and the first long sun stretches show up. It's also when half the salt damage from the previous winter finally makes itself known. Here's what to look at, in order of how much it'll cost if you don't.
The roof first. Walk the perimeter with a phone camera and photograph anything that's lifted, cracked, or stained. We'll come look — usually within a week — and give you a no-pressure estimate.
Then the windows. Salt and grit eat the seals on west-facing units faster than anything else. If you can hear a whistle from inside on a windy afternoon, the seal is gone.
Finally, fixtures. Anything brass, copper, or zinc — door hardware, faucet bodies, light housings — should get a quick wipe with a damp cloth and a once-over for green corrosion. The fix is usually a $40 part and twenty minutes.
— Mira Castell