Group launches petition to put housing ballot measure on Lincoln ballot
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — With the 2024 election barely in the books, campaigning has begun for Lincoln’s city election in 2025.
Early Thursday, a group called Lincoln for Fair Housing announced a petition drive to place a measure on the May 6 general election ballot.
The initiative would ban source-of-income discrimination by landlords.
Lincoln for Fair Housing said thousands of renters in the capital city struggle to find housing because of where their rent money comes from.
The group said landlords are allowed to turn people away if they use Section 8 vouchers, Social Security benefits or other forms of assistance.
About one-third of Section 8 recipients in Lincoln can’t find a landlord who will accept their voucher, according to Lincoln for Fair Housing.
“Source-of-income discrimination is unfair and unavoidable,” group member Kasey Ogle said in a press release. “Source-of-income protections have been successful in 22 states and 128 cities around the country, cutting voucher failure rates in half and helping to reduce concerns about affordable housing. It’s time for Lincoln to join them.”
Organizers will kick off the petition effort at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at NeighborWorks Lincoln at 24th and Q streets.
They will offer training for those who want to collect signatures.
