Recent from talks
Source of income discrimination
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Source of income discrimination
Source of income discrimination describes when landlords refuse to rent to tenants using housing vouchers or other government assistance. Housing advocates argue the practice keeps vulnerable communities from accessing housing, although landlords point to lack of protections for tenants as their right to refuse service.
In the United States, housing vouchers fall under Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937. Section 8 housing vouchers provide housing assistance for low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals or families. The term “source of income discrimination” is used by housing advocates to describe a phenomenon that is legal nationwide in the United States but is increasingly being banned on the state and city level. Participation in the Section 8 Housing Voucher Program is largely voluntary for landlords. The Biden Administration acknowledged the practice is currently legal federally but promised to address the issue. State laws banning source of income discrimination vary widely with some including protections for tenants using section 8 housing vouchers and some not. Advocates, such as the NAACP, argue renters have been unfairly denied usage of their housing voucher and that acceptance of housing vouchers leads to more diverse communities.
23 states, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota*, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma*, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin*, have statewide policies banning source of income discrimination.
Indiana, Texas, Idaho, Iowa, and Kentucky preempt the passage of source of income discrimination laws; however, city ordinances may differ. Phoenix, Arizona passed an ordinance in March 2023 banning source of income discrimination.
*Excludes section 8 housing
There are more than two million households in the United States that participate in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program (the Section 8 voucher program) to afford privately owned rental housing.
When a Section 8 voucher participant rents from a participating landlord, the local PHA “pays the difference between the household’s contribution (set at 30 percent of income) and the total monthly rent.” The Section 8 voucher program does not set a maximum rent, but participants must pay the difference between the calculated subsidy and actual rent. Landlords receive the subsidy directly from the PHAs.
In the first study, in the early 1980s, 50 percent of the Section 8 Housing Voucher participants were able to find housing. This number increased to 68 percent from 1985 to 1987. There was a rise to 81 percent by 1993. However, the figures dropped to 69% success in 2000. The low success rates can be attributed to landlords declining to accept the vouchers either because of discrimination against the participants in the program or because of the burdens the program places on housing providers.
Hub AI
Source of income discrimination AI simulator
(@Source of income discrimination_simulator)
Source of income discrimination
Source of income discrimination describes when landlords refuse to rent to tenants using housing vouchers or other government assistance. Housing advocates argue the practice keeps vulnerable communities from accessing housing, although landlords point to lack of protections for tenants as their right to refuse service.
In the United States, housing vouchers fall under Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937. Section 8 housing vouchers provide housing assistance for low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals or families. The term “source of income discrimination” is used by housing advocates to describe a phenomenon that is legal nationwide in the United States but is increasingly being banned on the state and city level. Participation in the Section 8 Housing Voucher Program is largely voluntary for landlords. The Biden Administration acknowledged the practice is currently legal federally but promised to address the issue. State laws banning source of income discrimination vary widely with some including protections for tenants using section 8 housing vouchers and some not. Advocates, such as the NAACP, argue renters have been unfairly denied usage of their housing voucher and that acceptance of housing vouchers leads to more diverse communities.
23 states, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota*, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma*, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin*, have statewide policies banning source of income discrimination.
Indiana, Texas, Idaho, Iowa, and Kentucky preempt the passage of source of income discrimination laws; however, city ordinances may differ. Phoenix, Arizona passed an ordinance in March 2023 banning source of income discrimination.
*Excludes section 8 housing
There are more than two million households in the United States that participate in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program (the Section 8 voucher program) to afford privately owned rental housing.
When a Section 8 voucher participant rents from a participating landlord, the local PHA “pays the difference between the household’s contribution (set at 30 percent of income) and the total monthly rent.” The Section 8 voucher program does not set a maximum rent, but participants must pay the difference between the calculated subsidy and actual rent. Landlords receive the subsidy directly from the PHAs.
In the first study, in the early 1980s, 50 percent of the Section 8 Housing Voucher participants were able to find housing. This number increased to 68 percent from 1985 to 1987. There was a rise to 81 percent by 1993. However, the figures dropped to 69% success in 2000. The low success rates can be attributed to landlords declining to accept the vouchers either because of discrimination against the participants in the program or because of the burdens the program places on housing providers.