A group of Lawrence landlords have taken their argument against the city’s ordinance meant to ensure voucher recipients can find housing to a higher court. The Lawrence City Commission in February 2023 approved an ordinance change that creates a protected class based on renters’ source of income, as well as their status as a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking or stalking. It also disallows discrimination based on prospective tenants’ immigration status. The ordinance went into effect June 1, 2023. The Landlords of Lawrence — an association of 30-plus local landlords — filed a lawsuit against the city, arguing the language of the ordinance is unconstitutionally vague and that it infringes on their discretion as businesspeople. But Douglas County District Judge Mark Simpson ruled in May 2024 that the ordinance could stand, ruling that the “prohibited conduct is simple and clear: a landlord shall not consider the source of a prospective tenant’s rent payments in determining whether to rent to that person.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
