Upper Arlington City Council on Monday voted unanimously to adopt a source of income amendment to its nondiscrimination ordinance.
This change makes it unlawful to refuse to lease or rent any real property based on the source of income of any current or prospective tenant.
This decision means prospective tenants with sources of income such as supplemental security income, spousal or child support, government subsidies, and veterans benefits are now protected when seeking housing.
Catherine Kennedy works with Equal UA, a nonprofit organization focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The group cites a 2020 Franklin County Landlord Partnership Collaborative survey, in which 51% of the 35 Upper Arlington landlords who responded didn’t accept any source of income outside of employment.
“There’s just a knowledge gap about what it means to take those sources of income,” Kennedy said. “So it might feel more straightforward to say they’re only taking employment wage income.”
But the new policy opens the door for the most vulnerable populations, Kennedy said, including senior citizens, people with disabilities, veterans, and single parents, particularly single mothers.
Upper Arlington joins Bexley, Columbus, Westerville, Reynoldsburg, Worthington, Whitehall, Gahanna, and Grandview Heights, which already have similar policies in place.
