TEMPE, AZ — Tempe city council unanimously passed an ordinance that bans housing discrimination based on source of income Thursday night.
This new ordinance means renters who rely on various forms of government assistance to pay for housing, such as veteran's benefits, disability, or Section 8 housing vouchers, can no longer be denied housing based on those sources of income.
Some Tempe residents had been demanding the city address housing insecurity and rent affordability, especially as the city continues to grow.
One group helping to lead those efforts was Unemployed Workers United through its "Take Back Our Homes" campaign.
The campaign's coordinator, Sebastian Del Portillo, released the following response last night after the city council's decision:
"This is the culmination of what our community members have been fighting for. For weeks our neighbors have shared their heartfelt stories of housing insecurity and what an anti-discriminatory source of income [SOI] ordinance would mean for them and their families. We are proud the City Council has heard their pleas and voted to protect the rights of tenants today. Today we can all rest a little easier knowing residents can no longer be discriminated against based on how they are able to pay their landlord, but the job is not finished.
Yet, there are still too many working-class families living paycheck to paycheck. While SOI offers them some relief, we know more must be done. To ensure our families and neighbors stay housed in their communities will require a concerted effort from our local elected officials to pass improved housing policies. We look forward to working with the City Council again in the future as we continue to address tenants' concerns and enact legislation which will truly create a future our communities can afford."
Phoenix and Tucson already have similar ordinances in place.
