Carolyn Kaster
/ AP
After a years-long court battle, a case before Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court this week could have a big impact on affordable housing in Pittsburgh for tenants who rely on subsidized housing vouchers and landlords.
At issue is an ordinance passed by Pittsburgh City Council in 2015 forbidding landlords in the city from discriminating against tenants based on “source of income,” such as a Housing Choice Voucher, commonly referred to as a Section 8 voucher. Shortly after the ordinance passed, the Apartment Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh filed suit and the law has never been enforced.
Vouchers allow low-income tenants to rent a house or apartment on the private rental market. Generally, a tenant pays roughly one-third of their income toward the rent, and a government subsidy makes up the rest. However, many landlords won’t accept the vouchers and say they don’t want to deal with the bureaucracy and home inspections that come with accepting them. Those who do take them are often located in lower-income areas, further concentrating poverty and a lack of opportunity for residents.