AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - City leaders in Austin will consider adopting a measure that prevents housing complexes from turning away applicants who rely on federal vouchers to pay the rent.
The City Council on Thursday will hear details of the plan to require hundreds of additional Austin rental properties to consider low-income tenants. The Austin American-Statesman reports (https://bit.ly/1eN1icu ) that many apartment complexes won’t accept vouchers.
The intention of the measure is to provide more housing options for low-income residents.
The Austin Housing Authority administers 5,800 federal housing vouchers for those who earn less than 50 percent of Austin’s median income.
Vouchers allow tenants to avoid public housing projects in favor of privately owned options.
Laws passed over the past five decades prevent discrimination against potential tenants, but those laws don’t include income levels.
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Information from: Austin American-Statesman, https://www.statesman.com
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