Supporters make final push for Lincoln fair housing initiative; foes call it big government

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A proposal that could reshape housing access is on the ballot in Lincoln’s general election Tuesday.

The initiative would make it illegal for landlords to deny a rental applicant based solely on how renters plan to pay, such as with housing vouchers and disability checks.

“If you look at any of the classified ads or any of the online ads for housing, you will see a lot of ‘No Section 8, no Section 8,'” said Steve Smith, a spokesman for Fair Housing LNK. “And a lot of those ads have been up for months.”

SEE ALSO: Lincoln City Council votes unanimously to put housing initiative on the ballot

He said for some renters, finding a place to live in Lincoln isn’t just hard; it’s disheartening.

“It’s demoralizing to them, they feel they’ve been cast out to a pile of rejects essentially,” Smith said. “Once that happens, it’s very difficult for them to obtain safe, affordable, humane housing.”

Supporters of the proposal said it will expand access to housing for low-income families and people with disabilities.

SEE ALSO: Election officials certify petition for Lincoln fair housing ballot initiative

Opponents said the city shouldn’t interfere with private rental decisions, arguing that some payment sources come with red tape or delays.

“This is a government program that is voluntary, and it is not right for private property owners to be forced to accept a government program that is supposed to be voluntary,” said Lynne Fischer, a sales associate for Great Places Property.

Smith disagrees with this argument.

“This is not the city saying, ‘You must rent to everyone no matter what,'” he said. “That is not what this is.”

SEE ALSO: Organizers say fair housing petition in Lincoln surpassed signature requirements

But Fischer said this makes an already difficult business even harder.

“It’s always a challenge to find folks that will do the three things that we need to have done by all our tenants: the rent paid on time, to be well behaved with their neighbors and to take care of our property,” he said.

Fischer also said the Lincoln Housing Authority should help those with Section 8 vouchers find a potential match if they get rejected.