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A fair housing coalition turned in more than 15,300 signatures Monday to the city clerk’s office, close to double the number needed to get a local ordinance banning housing discrimination on the spring ballot. “Let’s envision a better Lincoln,” Karen Bell-Dancy, YWCA Lincoln executive director, said at a news conference with supporters. “Let’s envision a community where families aren’t choosing between rent and groceries, where children don't’ have to switch schools three times in one year and where unfair housing barriers don't block economic opportunity.
We all can move together toward that vision, starting with approving this measure in May.” The Lincoln Fair Housing Coalition, made up of 18 organizations including Nebraska Appleseed, Civic Nebraska the League of Women Voters of Lincoln-Lancaster County and the YWCA, announced the ballot initiative in December. It had to gather 8,825 signatures to get the question on the May 6 general election ballot.
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The city clerk will turn the signatures over to the Lancaster County Election Commissioner, who must certify the signatures. Once that happens, the City Council has 30 days either to enact the ordinance or submit it for an election. It must be submitted to the election commissioner by March 14 to get on the May 6 ballot.
The proposed ordinance would prohibit source-of-income discrimination, which includes prospective tenants being turned away because they want to use federal Section 8 vouchers, Social Security or disability benefits, child support or other forms of legal income. The group had been before the City Council several times advocating for such an ordinance, and a year ago presented the council with a petition signed by more than 500 supporters. When the council took no action, organizers decided to mount an effort to let voters decide.
Organizers say nearly half of Lincoln renters face unaffordable housing costs, with 11,280 households in the city spending more than half their rent on housing. Still, they say, nearly one in three local voucher recipients must return them unused because they can't find a landlord willing to accept them. River Sky, a Section 8 voucher tenant, said they called about 200 landlords and found just three that would take vouchers.
Two of those were for places that were “filthy, sketchy and gross,” but the third allowed them to rent a “safe and decent” place to live. They’ve now been there three years, Sky said. Sky said they are queer and disabled, has severe PTSD, and struggled to find housing after having to quit their job.
Calling landlords was difficult because Sky was living in a tent with a service dog during the winter. “If we’re struggling, if we’re poor, if we're survivors of abuse and trauma, everybody deserves a home," Sky said. "Nobody needs to go through what I faced.
So everybody, please just support this initiative and stop this from happening to so many of our neighbors.” Reid Gahan said when he bought a duplex, lived in one side and began renting the other about five years ago, he called Community Action to see if the organization had any clients in need of housing. The organization connected him to a family that’s still renting from him, and no longer part of the voucher program.
The inspection ensured his rental property was up to code and a caseworker could have helped him had he had problems with his tenants, which he said he hasn’t had. “Housing discrimination is inherently inefficient. It reduces choice not only for tenants but also for landlords,” he said.
“I’m excited for a future where Zillow isn’t full of six-month-old rental listings with those inefficient words “no vouchers allowed.” Some landlords have expressed concerns about being required to adhere to all the requirements of the voucher program, including the inspections. Lincoln Housing Authority officials say the city’s efforts to increase the affordable housing stock in Lincoln is a more effective approach.
The coalition has been talking to voters about the ordinance for months but will start an education campaign including a League of Women Voters “lunch and learn” session in March, said Jean McGuire, president of League of Women Voters of Lincoln/Lancaster County. Top Journal Star photos for January 2025 Nebraska head coach John Cook speaks during a news conference on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Hawks Championship Center.
The Legislature's Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee listens to testimony Thursday at the Capitol regarding a bill to change Nebraska to a winner-take-all voting system in the Electoral College. The Lincoln Southwest bench, including Eedee Npimnee (front left), celebrates scoring a basket against Lincoln North Star, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Lincoln North Star.
Construction work continues near South 17th and A streets as part of the current Lincoln On the Move program previously approved by voters to build and rehab streets. The City Council has been asked to put a proposal to extend a quarter-center sales tax for the program on April’s primary ballot. Chief Justice Jeffrey Funke delivers his first State of the Judiciary address in the legislative chamber at the Capitol on Tuesday.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue firefighters work to remove a fence to reach a recreational vehicle that caught fire Friday near 30th and U streets. Nebraska’s Sam Hoiberg (left) and Rollie Worster wrestle the ball from USC’s Wesley Yates III on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps answers questions from honor roll and AVID students at Goodrich Middle School on Thursday.
Epps shared her experience in space with students as part of a collaboration with the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum. David Seizys, a teacher at Goodrich, organized the presentation. Elkhorn South's Lincoln Schwarz (23) defends the basket as Pius X's Cole Randall (3) and Kolbe Volkmer (44) try to gain possession of the ball underneath the rim in the first half on Thursday, Jan.
23, 2025,at Pius X High School. The Nebraska wrestling team is greeted by throngs of fans as they enter the arena to take on Penn State on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at the Devaney Sports Center.
Ray Jisa (left) adjusts his wheelchair next to his wife, Marla, on Friday at their Seward home. Due to a new state law that caps what medical equipment providers can charge Medicaid supplement plans, Jisa said replacing his wheelchair would cost him $2,500 out of pocket when it cost him nothing when he first bought one five years ago. Matthias McKing (left), 11, helps Javar Walker, 3, decide on a piece of candy during the Martin Luther King Jr.
Youth Rally on Sunday at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Nebraska Union. Nebraska's Tyus Wilson celebrates after completing a jump to lead the nation in the Men's High Jump competition during the 2025 Graduate Classic on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Lincoln Lutheran’s Trenton Ernst (left), Grant Stowell and Grant Kuhlmann defend as Ashland-Greenwood’s Cal Kissinger goes for a basket on Thursday in Ashland. University of Nebraska-Lincoln senior Nik Barger looks through peacoats to hand out to a UNL choir member on Thursday at Westbrook Music building before the choir left for Monday's presidential inauguration. Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett (left) celebrates after defeating Penn State’s Shayne Van Ness (center) in a 149lb match on Friday, Jan.
17, 2025, at the Devaney Sports Center. Nebraska's Braxton Meah (34) dunks the ball against Rutgers defenders in the second half on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Two parkgoers fish through the ice of Holmes Lake on Monday at Holmes Lake Park in Lincoln. Nebraska Game and Parks is reminding people to use caution and test the ice before venturing out onto frozen lakes or ponds. Southeast Community College President Paul Illich speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Sandhills Global Technology Center on SCC's Lincoln campus on Wednesday.
The new, 65,000-square-foot building, which will house a number of SCC programs, including biotechnology, electronic systems, computer information technology and design and drafting, will open to students next week. Members of the media record Gov. Jim Pillen (bottom right) as he delivers his State of the State address Wednesday at the Capitol.
Nebraska's Christopher Minto reacts after defeating Minnesota's Andrew Sparks at 165 pounds Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center. People attend a Lancaster County Board meeting Tuesday at the County-City Building. Opponents and supporters of a large solar farm planned for southern Lancaster County offered testimony for six hours on the proposed $600 million, 304-megawatt solar project, which Florida company NextEra Energy wants to build on 2,400 acres east of Hallam.
Zoe, 6, (left) and Betsy, 7, (right) spend time on the floor with their mother, Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln (center), during the first day of the legislative session Wednesday at the Capitol. Volunteer Olivia Guynan takes Teddy the cat out of his cage on Thursday, Jan.
9, 2025, at the Capital Humane Society Pieloch Pet Adoption Center. Nebraska State Board of Education member Deborah Neary (left) listens as her colleague Elizabeth Tegtmeier discusses her qualifications to be board president during a board orientation meeting Thursday at the Nebraska Department of Education's Lincoln office. Lincoln Southwest’s Jayven Mitchell (left) rebounds the ball next to Lincoln Southeast’s Uzziah Sanders on Friday at Lincoln Southwest High School.
Jordyn Bahl (center) is greeted by fellow Husker athlete Rebekah Allick after she leaves the podium in the Governor's Hearing Room on Friday at the Capitol. At left is Hannah Holtmeier, a UNL student. They spoke in support of a bill introduced by Sen.
Kathleen Kauth (right) that would ban transgender individuals from certain bathrooms and locker rooms in the state. Kevin Stocker (bottom right)a Nebraska Public Service commissioner, takes a phone call on the first day of the legislative session Wednesday at the Capitol. Logan Sweet, a newly graduated firefighter recruit at Lincoln Fire and Rescue, introduces his 10-month-old daughter Lennon to Archie, a golden lab, and his handler Samantha Wilkins, an LFR firefighter and EMT, following an LFR badge ceremony for firefighter recruits Tuesday at Lincoln Firefighters Reception Hall.
Eleven recruits and three canine teams received badges in the ceremony. In addition to taking another run at property tax cuts this year, Gov. Jim Pillen said he will seek to ban Nebraska children from social media until they are 16 years old and bar cellphones from K-12 schools.
Penn State's Jayla Oden (12) and Nebraska's Britt Prince (23) battle for the ball during the first quarter of the game on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Casey Manka with The Tree Guys works to haul a Christmas tree into a chipper at Holmes Lake Park in the parking lot west of the north softball fields on Tuesday.
The city of Lincoln is providing drop-off areas for anyone wishing to dispose of their trees. Nebraska's Logan Nissley (2) and Amiah Hargrove (33) celebrate in the fourth quarter of the game against Michigan State on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Milford's Ayla Roth (4) dives to save the ball amid Malcolm defenders on Thursday at Malcolm High School.
Brandon Lenners snow blows the sidewalk outside of an apartment complex near Old Cheney and 84th street on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. Pius X's Austen Davis (24) gains possession of a rebound against Omaha Skutt's Libby Shotkoski (12) and Kamryn Kasner (34) in the first half on Saturday, Jan.
4, 2025, at Lincoln Pius X High School. Quentin Shaw, assistant coordinator of legislative services, changes the nameplates in the Norris Chamber Friday. Senators return to the Capitol for the first session of the 109th Nebraska Legislature on Wednesday.
Lincoln North Star's Jakeyce Fowler (left) and Rieal Acin (5) celebrate during the fourth quarter of the game against Lincoln Southwest on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at Lincoln North Star High School. Contact the writer at mreist@journalstar.
com or 402-473-7226. On Twitter at @LJSReist. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
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