Lincoln Voters Back Ban on Housing Discrimination Based on Income Source

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Voters in Lincoln overwhelmingly approved a change to city ordinance on Tuesday that bans housing discrimination based on a renter or buyer‘s source of income.

The unofficial final results provided by the Lancaster County Election Commission indicated that 25,450 votes were cast in support of the ordinance, whereas 13,216 votes opposed it.

Approximately 7,700 early voting ballots are anticipated to be counted on Friday, May 9. Furthermore, an extra 220 provisional votes — consisting of 216 standard and four needing voter ID verification — will be examined on Wednesday, May 14.

This regulation stops property owners from rejecting potential renters who utilize housing vouchers, government aid, or any other legitimate forms of earnings, such as participants in the Section 8 Housing Voucher Program. Before this decision, landlords in Lincoln had the discretion to turn down candidates depending on their method of rental payment.

The ballot measure was initiated by Lincoln for Fair Housing, an alliance comprising close to 20 local groups. Following the announcement of the outcomes, the organization expressed their delight in a released statement, hailing the decision as a triumph for fairness and diversity.

The declaration stated, "Lincoln rose to its feet today." It championed dignity, opportunities, and the fundamental belief that nobody should be deprived of secure, reasonably priced accommodation due to their rental payment methods.

The organization acknowledged the contributions of tenants, property owners, helpers, and participants who backed their initiative, referring to the measure as "an important advancement."

But the task is not complete," the statement went on. "We now have to make sure these safeguards are applied equitably and that the rights of every Lincoln resident are upheld.

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