What is Source of Income (SOI) discrimination?

Source of income — or SOI — discrimination occurs when a housing provider refuses to rent to tenants because they use a voucher, subsidy, or other lawful source of income to help pay their rent.

Additional Protections for Families with Vouchers

Although source of income is not an explicitly protected class at the federal or state level, some communities have added source of income protections into their local fair housing ordinances. Source of income protections prohibit discrimination against families with vouchers.

The following Northeast Ohio communities* have outlawed source of income discrimination:

Akron
Cleveland Heights
Linndale
Lorain
South Euclid
University Heights
Warrensville Heights
Wickliffe

*This information is current as of May 2024. Contact The Fair Housing Center directly for the most up-to-date list of cities with SOI protections.

If you live in a city where SOI is a protected class, the following actions are illegal, if they are based on a current or prospective tenant’s source of income:

Refusal to rent, sell, or negotiate for housing
Making housing unavailable or restrict choice
Setting different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of housing
Providing different housing services or facilities
Falsely denying that housing is available
Persuading owners to sell or rent (blockbusting)
Denying access to or membership in a facility or service related to the sale or rental of housing
Retaliating against a person for making a fair housing complaint
Discriminating in mortgage lending