CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There’s a perfectly legal form of discrimination that some say is compounding Charlotte’s affordable housing crisis.

• Landlords are currently allowed to not consider subsidies as a form of income when evaluating rental applications
• It’s called “Source of Income Discrimination” (SOID)
• Advocates say it’s keeping people from gaining stable housing

Right now, landlords are allowed to not consider subsidies as a form of income when evaluating a rental application.

It’s called “Source of Income Discrimination” (SOID).

There are 17 Charlotte organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, INLIVIAN, and Veterans Bridge Home, that want to add language to Charlotte’s fair housing ordinance to make SOID illegal.

For example, even though a landlord can’t deny a renter because of disability, the landlord can decide to not accept disability checks as income.

Advocates say it’s keeping people from gaining stable housing.

“It’s very hard to go from homelessness to homeowner,” says Ryan Carter of Habitat for Humanity Charlotte. “We need desperately a stable rental market so families can transition from rental to homeowner.”

According to Habitat Charlotte, 21 percent of families who get a Housing Choice Vouchers to help pay rent are unable to find housing.