Housing bill deserves Senate support

The Maryland House of Delegates took an important step for fairness by approving the HOME Act, which bans housing discrimination based on source of income with a veto-proof majority (“House passes bill to ban discrimination by landlords against voucher holders,” March 20).

“Source of income” means any lawful source of funds used in the rental or purchase of housing, including what are known as Housing Choice Vouchers (sometimes called Section 8 vouchers), a form of federal assistance to low-income residents so that they can pay for housing. Other sources of income could be alimony, Social Security and similar sources.

These programs help a range of people, including working professionals, the elderly, veterans, families and individuals with disabilities. Like anyone, they want to be a part of and contribute to a thriving community.

Regardless of a prospective renter’s rental history or ability to pay the rent, many landlords do not accept vouchers. As a result, families with housing subsidies tend to be clustered in small areas where landlords accept those subsidies.

This bill will help deconcentrate poverty and gives low-income Marylanders the chance to move to areas of better opportunity. We know that well-integrated, socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods succeed. Simply living in high-opportunity communities helps low-income children do better throughout their lives. Research shows that children whose families move to low-poverty neighborhoods when they are young are far more likely to attend college and less likely to become single parents and earn significantly more as adults.

What’s more, studies have consistently shown no increase in crime, no decrease in property values or detriment to the community when voucher holders live in a neighborhood.

We are excited that the House of Delegates passed this bill and encourage the Senate to do the same.