A new Kansas City ordinance outlaws sources of income discrimination and allows vouchers for housing

Mayor Quinton Lucas and Alaysha Jenkins at the introduction event of Ordinance 231019. (From Instagram, @quinton_lucas) On January 25th, the Kansas City Council passed Ordinance 231019 that prohibits landlords from discriminating against prospective tenants based on their income. The ordinance, which takes effect on August 1st, bans source of income discrimination–referring to how landlords treat tenants based on how they pay rent (such as with Section 8 vouchers). Additionally, the ordinance prohibits denying tenancy solely on the basis of prior (non-violent) criminal convictions, credit scores, and prior evictions. Late last year, over 100 Black Kansas City women came together to write a letter calling for City Council to take action on this matter; KC Tenants also played a large role in mobilizing toward banning source of income discrimination. This ordinance, similar to those already passed in 85 US cities and seventeen states, seeks to ensure all renters can access housing of their choice. Such access will contribute to undoing the damage of discriminatory housing practices that have prevented many Black Americans and minorities from obtaining safe housing in the location of their choosing. Exclusionary zoning promotes segregation The United States has a long history of using exclusionary zoning ordinances to...