Group hosts signature drives for fair housing petition at south Lincoln coffee shop

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A group is working to get a fair housing initiative onto the city election ballot with one final week of signature drives.

Fair Housing Lincoln’s petition, which was announced on Dec. 12, is seeking to ban source-of-income discrimination in the capital city.

In a previous press release, the group said thousands of renters in Lincoln struggle to find housing because of where their rent money comes from.

Landlords can turn people away if they use Section 8 vouchers, Social Security benefits or other forms of assistance, according to Lincoln Fair Housing.

This week, the group has been hosting signature drives at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso near 16th and South streets.

Registered voters can also sign the petition at Civic Nebraska and Nebraska Appleseed’s offices, according to the group’s website.

Steve Smith with Civic Nebraska said the group is aiming to turn in the signatures early next week.

The group needs to submit at least 8,825 verified signatures to be placed on the city election ballot, according to Lancaster County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen.