PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Senate has approved a bill that would prohibit landlords from using a lawful source of income as a basis for rejecting a rental application.
The proposal is aimed at landlords who won’t rent to people using federal, state or local assistance for housing, including Section 8 Housing vouchers or Social Security income.
Sponsored by Sen. Harold M. Metts, D-Providence, the measure has been introduced and passed the Senate for four consecutive years. It now moves to the R.I. House.
In Rhode Island, landlords can legally reject a tenant who uses a government source for income. It has enabled property owners to engage in discrimination against poor people, including single mothers of young children, who qualify for government assistance, Metts said.
It is not uncommon to see “No Section 8” in ads for apartments across Rhode Island.
“Needing housing assistance is not an indication that anyone is going to be a bad tenant,” Metts said. “The vast majority of those receiving this assistance are families with children, often single mothers, who are simply facing an uphill battle to afford the high cost of living in Rhode Island. There’s nothing wrong or shameful about that.”
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at Macdonald@PBN.com.
