A bill has been proposed in the Utah State Senate that will effectively eliminate source of income as a protected class under fair housing laws.
This proposed legislation would allow landlords to discriminate against poor people.
This legislation will make it easier for landlords to discriminate based on race, religion, national origin and disability.
This proposed legislation will make it harder to find affordable housing for people who really need it.
I urge you to please reach out to the Senate and ask them to vote NO on SB 175.
I have attached a Fact Sheet and the addresses of the Senators. Please call or send them an email today.
It is best to write “VOTE NO on S. Dayton SB175” in the subject line.
Please review fact sheet and state your reason for opposing the bill in the body of your message.
Again, this is urgent! This legislation will affect tens of thousands of Utahns…our friends and families as well as the people we serve.
-Vard
Vard McGuire, MSW
Fair Housing Program Coordinator
Disability Law Center
205 North 400 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84103
Utah Relay: 711
vmcguire@disabilitylawcenter.org
OPPPOSE SB 175!!!
FAIR HOUSING ACT OPTION AMENDMENTS (Sen. Dayton)
The Utah Fair Housing Act has served Utah well for nearly 3 decades.
The Utah Fair Housing Act has included the protection from discrimination solely due to a person’s source of income since its enactment in 1989. This protection has served Utah communities well without being burdensome on landlords, as evidenced by the few complaints received by the Utah Office of Fair Housing, U.S. HUD and Public Housing Authorities over the years.
This proposed legislation is a solution looking for a problem.
Complaints by officials of the Apartment Assoc. brought to the attention of local housing authorities have been resolved satisfactorily.
The Fair Housing Act is good for tenants – and good for landlords.
Landlords benefit from renting to Housing Choice Voucher holders because they are guaranteed payment of fair market rent and utilities. In exchange, landlords need to comply with rules in the program contract. These requirements are not onerous or overly complicated. Landlords can still use the same screening process that they use for any prospective tenants.
The proposed legislation would allow landlords to discriminate against poor people.
Currently, refusing to rent to someone only because they receive rental assistance through a Housing Choice Voucher constitutes legal discrimination and is prohibited. This is a social and economic justice issue. Discrimination based on source of income can be an easy replacement for discrimination based on race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity, age, religion, and disability.
The proposed legislation will make it harder to find affordable housing.
With a statewide shortage of 46,000 units affordable to extremely-low-income Utah households, the lowest vacancy rate in 14 years, and rents escalating rapidly, this legislation would exacerbate what has become an affordable housing crisis.
By encouraging landlords not to participate in these housing programs, this legislation could result in reduced availability of housing opportunities for low-income, single parents, working class, elderly, disabled, homeless veterans, and minority Utah families.
Prepared by Utah NAHRO, Utah Housing Coalition 02/16
Name
Address
City
Zip Code
Office Phone
Personal Phone
1
Luz Escamilla
D
1004 North Morton Drive
Salt Lake City
84116
801-844-8389
801-550-6434
2
Jim Dabakis
D
54 B Street
Salt Lake City
84103
801-618-1946
801-815-3533
3
Gene Davis
D
865 Parkway Avenue
Salt Lake City
84106
801-484-9442
801-647-8924
4
Jani Iwamoto
D
4760 Highland, Ste 427
Salt Lake City
84117
801-274-0496
801-580-8414
5
Karen Mayne
D
5044 West Bannock Circle
West Valley
84120
801-968-7756
6
Wayne Harper
R
2094 Surrey CIR
Taylorsville
84129
801-566-5466
7
Diedre Henderson
R
462 River Cross RD
Spanish Fork
84660
801-787-6197
8
Brian Shiozawa
R
3177 Fort Union Blvd.
Salt Lake City
84121
801-230-3406
9
Wayne I. Niederhauser
R
3182 E. Granite Woods
Sandy
84092
801-558-4766
801-942-3398
10
Linciln Fillmore
R
10167 s 1190 W
South Jordan
84095
385-831-8902
11
Howard A. Stephenson
R
1038 East 13590 South
Draper
84020
801-972-8814
801-572-1038
12
Daniel W. Thatcher
R
6352 W. City Vistas Way
West Valley
84128
801-759-4746
13
Mark B. Madsen
R
PO Box 572
Lehi
84043
801-361-4787
14
Alvin Jackson
R
6108 New London
Highland
84003
801-216-4479
801-891-8722
15
Margaret Dayton
R
97 West Westview Dr
Orem
84058
801-221-0623
16
Curtis S. Bramble
R
3663 N 870 E
Provo
84604
801-361-5802
801-226-3663
17
Peter C. Knudson
R
1209 Michelle Dr.
Brigham City
84302
435-723-6366
435-723-2035
18
Ann Millner
R
4287 Harrison Blvd #313
Ogden
84403
801-900-3897
19
Allen M. Christensen
R
1233 E 2250 N
North Ogden
84414
801-782-5600
20
Scott K. Jenkins
R
4385 W 1975 N
Plain City
84404
801-621-5412
801-731-5120
21
Jerry Stevenson
R
466 S 1700 W
Layton
84041
801-544-1211
801-544-5172
22
Stuart Adams
R
3271 East 1875 North
Layton
84075
801-546-6000
23
Todd Weiler
R
1248 W 1900 S
Woods Cross
84087
801-599-9823
24
Ralph Okerlund
R
248 South 500 West
Monroe
84754
435-979-7077
435-527-3370
25
Lyle W. Hillyard
R
595 So Riverwoods Parkway # 100
Logan
84321
435-752-2610
435-753-0043
26
Kevin VanTassell
R
3424 West 1500 North
Vernal
84078
435-789-7082
435-789-0724
27
David Hinkins
R
PO BOX 485
Orangeville
84537
435-748-2828
435-384-5550
28
Evan Vickers
R
20166 N Cobble Creek Dr.
Cedar City
84721
435-586-9651
435-817-5565
29
Stephen Urquhart
R
634 East 1100 South
St. George
84790
435-668-7759
