LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A group from the KY Tenants organization rallied in Lexington for more protections for tenants Thursday, calling on council members at a council meeting to pass a “Tenants’ Bill of Rights.”
The proposal, which has been officially referred to a committee, would increase eviction protections, make it tougher for landlords to discriminate, create a landlord registry, and place tenants on relevant city boards and commissions, a spokesperson for KY Tenants said.
Councilman Maloney told LEX18 he believes the proposal does have strong support among some council members, but added he expects it would receive significant pushback from landlords.
At the council meeting, KY Tenants told council members about landlords who refuse to make repairs, and won’t accept Section 8 housing vouchers. Asan Gatewood-Parks, a 15-year-old whose family uses the Section 8 vouchers to get a place to stay, said his mother has been denied when they look for housing because of the voucher.
“Our money is just as good as anyone else’s whether we use a voucher or not,” he said.
The Tenant’s Bill of Rights would add protections so landlords wouldn’t be able to say no to his family, Parks said. The proposal also means landlords would be unable to discriminate on the basis of immigration status, credit score, and criminal history.
