Income Discrimination

The Work to Ban Source of Income Discrimination Continues

In the fall of 2023, the LWVLL joined a coalition of organizations who have been working to ban source of income discrimination (SOI) when renting in Lincoln.  One of the most common necessities for quality of life is having a safe space to live in and call home.

We have legal protections in place to ensure that people should not be prohibited from living somewhere because of their race, gender, ethnicity, and a number of additional factors. However, in Nebraska, it is still possible for real estate and rental companies to blanketly refuse to rent to people whose rent money comes from child support, veterans benefits and government assistance such as Section 8 vouchers (Source of Income). This is occurring throughout the state without regard to the character of the renter, or how consistent the funds are in ensuring that the rent will be paid both in full and on a timely basis.  The goal of the coalition is to work with our elected officials to ban SOI discrimination in the city of Lincoln.

In December of 2023, the coalition delivered over 500 signatures to the Lincoln City Council along with a request to act on this important issue.  While there has been no action yet from the City Council, the coalition continues to seek different avenues to address this important issue and to educate the public.

Read a recent article which highlights two of the coalition members, NPR article.

If you are interested in volunteering with this group, contact Jean McGuire, Vice President of Advocacy at llvp_action@lincolnleague.org.