Kansas City Housing providers filed a federal lawsuit over the Source Of Income Ordinance.
Passed by Kansas City Missouri in January of 2024. The Ordinance among other things requires housing providers to participate in the Housing Voucher Program known as Section 8.
The city claims that ordinance is to protect renters from discrimination, including those who receive supplemental security income, social security disability insurance, child support, tipped wages, and housing choice vouchers. The lawsuit filed on behalf of two area housing providers Kennedy F. Jones and Stephen J. Vogel accuses of “unconstitutional overreach.”
The Federal program behind housing vouchers does not require all landlords to accept Section 8 Vouchers for payment of rent. The ordinance does. “Participating in Section 8 imposes substantial burdens” the lawsuit states, which is why Congress made Section 8 voluntary.
The ordinance added further burdens on how a housing provider markets a rental property and screens a potential tenant . Many of the requirements in the city ordinance walk a very hard to meet burden on the housing provider as they also need to comply with federal fair housing. These issues are not addressed in the lawsuit. We will be discussing these issues and how to comply with the screening requirements in our Pop Up meeting with Attorney Julie Anderson on Tuesday October 15th.
For further information
Read the Lawsuit:
Read the Ordinance:
Other New Laws on the books In Kansas City Missouri:
- Missouri’s New Laws on Squatters
- The New Kansas Contract for Deed Act
- The New Kansas Protect Vulnerable Adults from Financial Exploitation Act
- And the New SOI Ordiannce or Kansas City Ordinance 231019
