It may come as a shock to Real Change readers that landlords can categorically deny housing to any tenant who receives a legitimate and verifiable government subsidy, such as SSI or a Section 8 voucher, to help them pay the rent. Just open Craigslist to find the many advertisements that boldly state, “No Section 8 accepted.” Only Seattle, Bellevue, and unincorporated King County have outlawed this outrageous, heartless, and irrational behavior.

Twelve other states have already created their own laws outlawing discrimination based on a person’s source of income, and now is the time for Washington to protect our many residents who are suffering from discrimination.

Local and federal officials have already recognized that certain groups of residents are so likely to meet discrimination in their attempts to find housing and other public services that they have declared these groups as protected classes. For example, it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of their race, disability, family status, sex, or sexual orientation.

Yet closing the door to those who rely on SSI or Section 8 makes our state and national civil rights laws less effective. Those who comprise single parent households (family status), those who are alienated from many good jobs because of a disability, those who are subject to the institutionalized legacy of racism, and those who face unfair obstacles in the workplace because of their sex are many of the same people who may then need to turn to government subsidies to pay their rent. Allowing landlords to discriminate based on how we pay our rent weakens hard-won protections by giving cover to prejudiced landlords who close their doors to whole groups of people seeking a roof over their heads.

Take the story of “Ms. M” (whose name is withheld to protect the tenant’s privacy), who is 55 years old and terminally ill. She receives SSI and is looking for safe and affordable housing. She has a good rental history, but many landlords have closed their doors because her SSI is “not garnishable.”

Or take the story of “Ms. S,” a woman escaping domestic violence who recently was able to pull together a couple of one-time rent subsidies from both federal and nonprofit sources. However, when she tried to use these to move into a new apartment, the landlord refused them and mischaracterized these programs as fraudulent.

Or take the story of “Ms. W,” whose name was on the Section 8 waiting list for three years. She had a great relationship with her landlord of four years and had an outstanding history of paying her rent and bills on time. However, when her turn finally came up and she approached the landlord with the Section 8 paperwork, she received a notice to vacate and the message that “I refuse to rent to anyone on Section 8”.

In each example above, the tenant had the kind of rental history that most landlords covet. Why then would these tenants be denied simply because they are attempting to utilize legitimate and verifiable assistance to help pay their rent? Is it because of bad experiences that the landlord had with a previous Section 8 tenant? Is it because any landlord should have the right to discriminate based on prejudices they hold about an entire class of people? The Tenants Union calls the bluff on such excuses for discrimination.

The Tenants Union believes that Section 8 and other kinds of government assistance are crucial and legitimate resources that help people to pay their rent and to secure safe housing for their families. Indeed, many Washington households rely on government subsidies, and many other Washington residents would agree that these subsidies are vital tools that can help families break a vicious cycle that keeps people poor.

Implementing Source of Income Protection will close the loopholes and strengthen our civil rights. It will put shame to the notion that those who rely on subsidies to make ends meet are inherently bad people and therefore bad tenants. This legislation will not force landlords to rent to every Section 8 tenant or SSI recipient. It will only require that they give these tenants equal consideration and a fair chance. Prejudice and discrimination are unfair roadblocks for many who are simply trying to secure safe, warm, and affordable housing, and it is time for Washington's legislators to share our outrage and implement Source of Income Protection this year.

Source of Income Protection has been endorsed by the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, Washington Community Action Network, the Children’s Alliance, LELO: A Legacy of Equality, Leadership and Organizing, the Statewide Poverty Action Network, the Low Income Housing Institute, the Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition, and Real Change. If you have stories to share or would like to get involved call (206) 722-6848, ext. 114.

Michele Thomas is a community organizer for the Tenants Union of Washington State, which works for housing justice through empowerment-based education, leadership development, organizing, and tenant ownership.

[Online]

The Tenants Union: www.tenantsunion.org.

[Take action]

Call your state representative at the toll-free Legislative Hotline, (800) 562-6000, and ask them to support Sen. Darlene Fairley’s (D-Shoreline) Source of Income Protection legislation.