Late yesterday, Tenants Together and Santa Monica residents Sonjia Sheffield and Stephanie Keys were granted the right to join a lawsuit by the City of Santa Monica to protect its Section 8 residents from discrimination. With the help of Western Center on Law & Poverty and Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Tenants Together is joining as a plaintiff on the side of Section 8 tenants to have a fair chance to find housing.
In May 2015, the City of Santa Monica passed an ordinance making it illegal to discriminate against tenants due to their source of income, including Section 8 vouchers. The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles then sued Santa Monica, saying the ordinance was illegal. Every refusal has serious consequences, since tenants only have a limited time to find a landlord who will take their voucher or they risk losing the subsidy entirely.
Tenants Together now joins in the fight for tenants’ rights and the ability to live in Santa Monica. Tenants Together is also supporting Senator Leno's bill to make Section 8 discrimination illegal in California, the Housing Opportunities Act, SB 1053. So far this bill has made it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sign this petition to support the bill.