On Wednesday, the L.A. City Council will be voting on an ordinance meant to prevent landlords from discriminating against the recipients of Section 8 vouchers.

Section 8 is a federal government program that subsidizes housing for low-income families, people who are disabled and the elderly. The proposed ordinance would prevent landlords from creating blanket bans on Section 8 vouchers as well as rejecting tenants who pay rent through other subsidy programs like those intended to provide housing for the homeless.

Landlords say the government process for approving Section 8 units is cumbersome and delays the move-in process. Some landlords also associate Section 8 tenants with causing problems. Housing advocates push back against that characterization, arguing that the belief is evidence of a stigma toward lower-income families and people of color, who make up the majority of those who have Section 8 vouchers.

We debate the ordinance. Plus, if you are a Section 8 voucher recipient, what’s been your story of trying to find housing in Los Angeles? If you’re a landlord, what’s been your experience with the Section 8 voucher program?

Call us at 866-893-5722.

Guests:

Chancela Al-Mansour, executive director at the Housing Rights Center, a non-profit in Los Angeles

Dan Yukelson, executive director of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, an organization advocating for multifamily owners, managers, developers and suppliers in the city and county of Los Angeles