Putting on the Pressure

Under pressure from local activists, members of the Champaign, IL, city council decided not to repeal protections for tenants with Section 8 vouchers. The council had voted in March to make it illegal for landlords to refuse to rent an apartment to a voucher holder, addressing concerns that a local law prohibiting landlords from discriminating based on a person’s source of income was not specific enough. But after a conservative was elected to the panel the council threatened in October to reverse its vote. Central Illinois Jobs with Justice and members of the city Human Rights Commission cried foul. In response, the council tabled the measure until next fall. (Jobs With Justice)