TEMPE, Ariz. — The City of Tempe has amended its codes to protect renters from being discriminated against based on their source of income.
Tenants who may receive a housing voucher or Social Security benefits can't have their rental application rejected based on their form of payment, according to the amended rules recently approved by the Tempe City Council.
The city already prohibits discriminating against residents on the basis of race, gender, age, disability and sexual orientation. Now it will be illegal to use a person's source of income to assess their viability for renting or buying a property.
"Often, the denial of housing will serve as a pretext for a prohibited form of discrimination and disproportionately affects renters of color, women, and persons with disabilities," city documents state. "As a result, source of income (SOI) discrimination contributes to the perpetuation of racially segregated communities and neighborhoods with concentrated poverty."
The change is intended to increase housing options for Tempe residents who have been affected by rising housing costs in the Valley, officials say.
“I don’t care whether a person has cash, a check, money order, a Housing Choice Voucher, veterans’ benefits or any other source of income. That is payment and no one should face discrimination or be turned away based on the form of payment,” Mayor Corey Woods said in a statement.
Tempe's action is similar to policies implemented by Arizona's two largest municipalities.
Tucson and Phoenix have each passed ordinances within the last year that prohibit landlords from turning away tenants based on their source of income.
Former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich had initially determined these "source of income" ordinances to be in violation of state law. But his successor, Kris Mayes, reversed that opinion, thus opening the door for cities to implement these types of policies.
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