110 Iowa L. Rev. 1921 (2025)
Abstract
The Housing Choice Voucher Program was developed by the federal government to provide low-income households with alternatives to public housing and to desegregate urban neighborhoods. The program allows low-income households to utilize a federal subsidy in privately owned housing of the household’s choosing. However, there is no federal mandate that landlords must rent to recipients of housing vouchers. Some households are turned away simply because their ability to afford the unit depends on the federal subsidy. This practice is called source of income discrimination. Although many states, cities, and counties have made source of income discrimination illegal, the Iowa Legislature passed a law that prohibits cities and counties from protecting their citizens from source of income discrimination. This Note argues that this Iowa law undermines federal housing goals, creates a loophole that landlords can use to illegally discriminate, and takes power away from local government. This Note also argues that legislative remedies, while needed, are unlikely due to political stalemate. Rather, cities in Iowa that want to protect voucher holders from source of income discrimination must employ community organizing and creative solutions.