KANSAS CITY, Mo — On Thursday afternoon, the Kansas City, Missouri, City Council passed an ordinance that aims to protect renters from discrimination based on their income.
The protections include people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), child support, tipped wages and housing choice vouchers.
Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas stated right before the vote that nearly half of residents residing in voucher-based households are children.
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Thousands of Kansas Citians are wait listed for housing and Section 8 vouchers year after year.
Even when they do get a voucher, options for where to go are limited.
"I've experienced feeling like you're being pushed into a certain community because of the way that you pay," Alaysha Jenkins said.
Months ago, Jenkins shared to city council members that she just wanted a fair chance. Today, she feels like she might have it.
"We're just asking for equity, equality across the board," she said.
A landlord who showed up at the meeting after learning about the ordinance a week ago doesn't think that's being accomplished.
"I can't protect my family. I can't protect my renters. I can't protect my neighborhood," Robert Ontman said.
An amendment to the ordinance includes a $1 million landlord risk mitigation program to offset costs associated with accepting voucher tenants.
They will also add a landlord liaison position in the housing department.
The council also amended the ordinance to allow landlords the ability to deny tenants based on criminal history, credit score, evictions, alleged damages and rent to income ratio.
Ontman still doesn't feel there are enough protections.
"That’s all smoke and mirrors, because if I deny a violent offender the ability to rent, all they have to do is call 311 and report me, and say I denied them because of their income," he said. "Then, I have to put time and expense and maybe a lawyer into defending myself."
Jenkins doesn't think the ordinance checks all the boxes she would've liked either, but that's not overshadowing her excitement that she might finally be able to choose where her family will live.
"I've always wanted to live in the Northland," she said.
Under the ordinance, a complaint for housing discrimination will be investigated and could end in prosecution in municipal court.
This will take effect six months from this evening's vote.
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