Rhode Island Senate Approves Bill Banning Housing Discrimination

The Rhode Island Senate approved a bill on Wednesday that would prevent landlords from discriminating against prospective tenants with housing vouchers. The bill adds the words "lawful source of income" to the list of factors a landlord cannot use as a basis for a decision, including race, religion, sex, gender identity, color, marital status, sexual orientation and more.

"Lawful source of income" is defined as "income or other assistance derived from Social Security; Supplemental Security Income; any other federal, state or local general public assistance, including medical assistance; any federal, state or local housing assistance, including Section 8 Housing …, and any other rental assistance; child support; or alimony."

"It should not be legal to refuse to rent to someone just because they get a housing subsidy. That’s discrimination against the poor and those who, for whatever reason, qualify for assistance," said the bill's sponsor, Providence Senator Harold Metts. "It’s a systematic way of keeping poor people out of certain places, and forcing them into certain other places. That’s segregation and it hurts families and our society. We absolutely should have addressed this problem long ago."

According to a survey by Southcoasst Fair Housing, renters with Housing Choice Vouchers, or HVCs, can afford more that 33 percent of listed apartments across the state, but are rejected from 93 percent of rentals. More than 9,300 residents across Rhode Island rely on vouchers to be able to afford housing.

The organization said renters with HVCs suffer "systemic online discrimination." 63 percent of landlords surveyed on the phone said they refused to rent to those with housing vouchers, while another 11 percent said they were unsure if they would. Southcoast Fair Housing's full report can be read here.

The bill does allow landlords to ask rental applicants their age, income, source of income and expected duration of the rental, to confirm the potential tenant is able to pay rent. Small rentals with three or fewer rentals would be exempt from the law.

'I was in high school when there were sit-ins against housing discrimination in the 1960's. How disappointing it is that this discrimination still exists in 2019," Metts continued. "We must make discrimination-free housing a civil right. Rhode Island should not be divided into haves and have-nots, with certain families stigmatized just because of the type of assistance they receive. That dynamic weakens and segregates our communities."

Fourteen other states, including all New England states except Rhode Island and New Hampshire, have laws to protect against housing discrimination. The bill now goes to the House, where a similar bill has been introduced by Providence Representative Anastasia P Williams. Governor Gina Raimondo, HomesRI Income Discrimination Coalition and other community organizations have voiced their support of the bill.