Introducing legislation that would make it illegal for local landlords to bar the use of housing vouchers in rental agreements is an opportunity for the city of Syracuse to work toward dismantling systemic discrimination.

Syracuse Common Councilor At-Large Jean Kessner said Monday that although the measure has not yet been drafted, she would soon present an amendment that would not allow landlords to prevent impoverished people with housing vouchers from renting local properties, Syracuse.com reported. The proposal to curb the refusal to rent housing to a person because of their “source of income” was also included on the council’s Monday agenda.

Both Syracuse and Onondaga County currently don’t have laws to protect tenants who use Section 8 vouchers. But CNY Fair Housing, a group that works to combat housing discrimination, made recommendations to pass such legislation in a 2014 report.

Unlike Syracuse, Buffalo has passed legislation that bans discrimination against renters paying with government housing vouchers. And when housing discrimination is reinforced in an impoverished region like Syracuse, for the city government to identify the problem, intervene and follow suit is integral for these social disparities to be addressed.

If Syracuse was to counter income discrimination, it could set a progressive precedent for greater Onondaga County in dissolving the phenomenon of rigid segregation within local communities — divisions that make the suburbs and a higher quality of housing off-limits for impoverished families and individuals.

For renters, rather than channel a distinct prejudice, it should be reiterated that those who use vouchers are still paying the rent, only through a different means. And when the exposure of housing discrimination is primarily restricted only to those who experience it, the mobilization to set appropriate legislation in motion would inform those who may be quick to dismiss it.

Improved accessibility to housing means a greater prospect for better jobs — a long-term development that has the potential to propel the economic and residential climates within the city of Syracuse rather than the myriad of roadblocks low-income individuals currently face.

There are about 5,800 low-income families with Section 8 vouchers in Onondaga County, Syracuse.com reported. And though the “American Dream” mantra echoes the idea that if a person works hard enough they will find success, that is not always feasible in cases of entrenched discrimination.

There are few real necessities in life and housing is one of them. And the city of Syracuse should work to resolve housing discrimination by breaking down institutionalized barriers rather than allowing them to stand unchecked.

Published on April 26, 2016 at 12:54 am

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