In 2005, Ashley Johnson was 21 years old, eight months pregnant, and applied for housing assistance. After getting a Section 8 housing voucher, she couldn’t find a place to live despite contacting more than 50 rental properties in the Kansas City area, so she and her young daughter were forced into homelessness.
Johnson’s situation is unfortunately not unique, as source of income (SOI) discrimination disproportionately impacts Black renters, particularly Black women with children, who constitute the largest share of housing voucher holders in Missouri.
On Nov. 30, Mayor Quinton Lucas, in collaboration with tenant union KC Tenants, introduced a new city ordinance to end SOI discrimination.
“For me, this makes very basic, simple, perfect, common sense,” says Lucas. “It [the ordinance] says that if you lawfully obtain income, it doesn’t matter how you pay your rent.”
Source of income discrimination involves landlords rejecting tenants or treating them differently based on how they pay their rent.
The discriminatory practice affects 8,100+ voucher holders in KC, including renters receiving social security, disability, veterans, or other governmental benefits, as well as those paying with cash or earning tipped wages.
At the time of its introduction, the ordinance enjoys the support of Mayor Quinton Lucas, Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw, and councilmembers Eric Bunch, Darrell Curls, Andrea Bough, and Johnathan Duncan, ensuring that it is likely to pass.
“This legislation will help remove historical racial barriers of redlining in our city,” says Duncan.
Key components of the ordinance include broad coverage, prohibiting discrimination based on source of income, credit score, prior evictions or alleged damages, and/or prior convictions or arrests.
If found in violation of the new ordinance, landlords face a $1,000 fine per offense. Landlords that repeatedly violate the new ordinance will be put on probation and have their permit to lease properties put in jeopardy.
The enforcement of this ordinance will be overseen by the city’s Civil Rights & Equal Opportunity Dept. Tenants can report discrimination through various channels, including 311 (call, app, or online) as well as by emailing or contacting the Civil Rights & Equal Opportunity Dept. in person. Complaint forms will also be translated into an array of languages.
The city has also committed to proactive audits of rental advertisements and extensive educational outreach to tenants and landlords to inform them of their rights and obligations under the law.
As of 2021, more than 120 jurisdictions, including states like New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Virginia, have passed SOI discrimination bans. Cities including Denver, Des Moines, Rochester, Pittsburgh, Memphis, and St. Louis have also implemented similar bans.
If passed, the Kansas City ordinance — crafted by tenants directly impacted by discrimination — will be the strongest of its kind in the country, featuring robust enforcement provisions.
