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Hillsborough commissioners pass tenant bill of rights ordinance

The countywide ordinance would prevent landlords from discriminating against tenants who rely on Section 8 housing vouchers.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County commissioners approved a new ordinance that would give more rights to tenants on Wednesday, which, among other things, prevents landlords from discriminating against potential renters based on their income.

The tenant bill of rights, as it's called by commissioners, seeks to address the lack of affordable housing in the county.

Landlords are now required to provide tenants with a list of their housing rights under current law. They must also provide a notice of late fees. However, the most debated right prohibits landlords from discriminating against tenants that rely on Section 8 housing vouchers.

Section 8, or the housing choice voucher program, is a federally funded program that offers to pay up to 70 percent of a tenant's rent. 

That requirement drew the ire of dozens of landlords, economists and property managers who spoke at Wednesday's commission meeting. They feared requiring landlords to accept Section 8 housing would force many of them out of the market.

However, County Commissioner Kim Overman said the requirement does not force landlords to accept Section 8, but it does protect those who rely on rental assistance, like veterans who receive support from the Department of Veterans Affairs, or families in need of coronavirus relief. 

Commissioner Mariella Smith echoed Overman's statements, saying the county was dealing with an affordable housing crisis. She said there are 10,000 families in Hillsborough County that rely on vouchers - two-thirds of which are people of color.

Smith said the vouchers were "useless" if landlords did not accept them, adding that rejecting them gives the sense that Hillsborough County does not serve a "certain class of people."

Commissioners voted to pass the ordinance 5 votes to 1. 

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