Los Angeles Clarifies and Strengthens Protections Against Source of Income Discrimination

Los Angeles officials hope a new law will cut off one of the city's pipelines to homelessness.

1 minute read

July 9, 2019, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Homeless Encampment

Alex Millauer / Shutterstock

The Los Angeles City Council voted in June to prohibit landlords "from refusing to consider tenants who pay rent through Section 8, the federal subsidy program for low-income households," reports Andrew Khouri.

"In California, it’s already illegal to deny housing based on someone’s source of income, though the definition of income doesn’t include the federal housing voucher program. In a 15-0 vote, the City Council changed that definition and extended protections against source-of-income discrimination to people who pay rent through Section 8 vouchers and other subsidies," according to Khouri.

The law is designed to help people receiving housing assistance find housing faster. "Nearly half the people who received a voucher in Los Angeles had it expire in 2017 before they found a rental, up from 18% in 2011, according to the latest available data."

Tuesday, June 18, 2019 in Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

2 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

3 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

4 hours ago - Bloomberg