Signatures submitted to put Lincoln renter protections on ballot in citywide election
By Brian Beach , Reporter Nebraska Public Media
Feb. 3, 2025, 6:37 p.m. ·

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The Lincoln for Fair Housing coalition turned in more than 15,000 signatures Monday to place a measure aimed at helping renters on the Lincoln citywide election ballot in May.
The proposed measure would prohibit Lincoln landlords from refusing to accept renters paying with Section 8 vouchers or other government benefits like social security.
Reid Gahan, a landlord in Lincoln, said accepting alternative forms of income provides him with more tenant options.
“When I think about the housing market in Lincoln, the last thing we need is discrimination,” he said. “It is inherently inefficient, reducing the choice, not only for tenants, but also for landlords.”
River Sky, who pays rent using a voucher, described the difficulty of finding a place to rent in Lincoln three years ago.
"I'm scrolling through Google Maps, calling every landlord I can find, calling landlords off signs on the street for hours a day," they said. "I called about 200 landlords. 'No, we don't take vouchers. No, we don't take vouchers. No, we don't take vouchers.' And those were the polite ones."
Sky said they only found one landlord with a "safe and decent" place to live, where they have lived ever since.
"We deserve a home if we're disabled, if we're struggling, if we're poor, if we're survivors of abuse and trauma, everybody deserves a home. Nobody needs to go through what I face," they said.
At the state level, a similar measure is up for debate. Sen. Dunixi Guereca of Omaha introduced LB223, which would prohibit source of income discrimination from landlords statewide.
At a hearing for the bill last week, opponents said renting to voucher-holders requires additional work for landlords. Lynn Fisher, a landlord who testified on behalf of the Statewide Property Owners Association, said frequent government inspections make things difficult.
“Of course, we don't mind inspections. Any good property owner is going to have a good, well-maintained property,” he said. “It's the time, it's the cost, it's the hassle of having additional inspections made by the housing authority who administers Section 8.”
Fisher said he accepts vouchers at several of his properties and some of them go unfilled each month.
"There's something else going on, and I don't think it's the fact that the vouchers aren't being accepted everywhere, because we have those units available," he said.
The Judiciary Committee, which conducted the hearing on the LB223, didn't take immediate action.
The Lincoln measure, pending signature verification, will be on a May ballot that also includes Lincoln City Council and Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education races.
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