More Cities and Counties Arming Renters Against Source of Income Discrimination

St. Louis County is considering fair housing legislation that would prevent source of income discrimination, as many cities in the region have already done, and many more are also considering.

1 minute read

May 21, 2019, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Pruitt-Igoe

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development and Research / Wikimedia Commons

"A controversial measure to bar landlords from discriminating against renters who use housing vouchers appears to be stalled because of recent vacancies on the St. Louis County Council," reports Janelle O'Dea.

First-term Councilwoman Lisa Clancy, D-5th District, is leading the charge to write source of income discrimination into the county's fair housing code. "If adopted, the change would make it easier for people who participate in the Housing Choice Voucher program — still widely known as “Section 8” — to find places to live in the county," explains O'Dea.

The feature-length article includes a lot of detail about subsidized housing in the county, as well as the growing acceptance of laws to counter source of income discrimination in the county's 88 municipalities. Despite a law intended to prevent source of income discrimination in the city of St. Louis, the practice is still widespread, according to O'Dea, so work needs to be done to improve the effectiveness of existing laws as well.

Monday, May 20, 2019 in St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Single-family homes in a suburban neighborhood in Florida.

New Florida Law Curbs HOA Power

The legislation seeks to cut down on ‘absurd’ citations for low-level violations.

June 16, 2024 - The Guardian

Multistory apartment building under construction.

New Tennessee Law Allows No-Cost Incentives for Affordable Housing

Local governments in the Volunteer State can now offer developers incentives like increased density, lower parking requirements, and priority permitting for affordable housing projects.

June 10, 2024 - Nooga Today

Aerial view of intersection in New York City with yellow cabs and zebra crosswalks.

Planners’ Complicity in Excessive Traffic Deaths

Professor Wes Marshall’s provocatively-titled new book, "Killed by a Traffic Engineer," has stimulated fierce debates. Are his criticisms justified? Let’s examine the degree that traffic engineers contribute to avoidable traffic deaths.

June 13, 2024 - Todd Litman

Brick high-rise apartment buildings in New York City

Study: Housing Crisis is About Affordability, not Supply

New research shows that there is no overall shortage of housing units, but all U.S. metropolitan areas face a severe lack of affordable units for low-income renters.

June 18 - University of Kansas

Couple on one side of desk with banker on other side looking at paperwork.

Are Race-Based Lawsuits Affecting Community Lenders?

Shelterforce spoke with community lending leaders and experts about the current mood across the sector. What, if anything, are organizations doing to avoid becoming the next target of conservative activists?

June 18 - Shelterforce Magazine

Rendering of Glory Park in Lewisville, Texas.

New Park Promotes Community and Connectivity in Lewisville, Texas

The city of Lewisville just celebrated the opening of Glory Park/Parque la Gloria, helping to improve park access and the quality of life for residents.

June 18 - Lewisville Leader

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.