Photo courtesy City of Austin

The 2011–12 Austin City Council (from left): Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, Councilman Bill Spelman, Councilwoman Laura Morrison, Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Councilwoman Kathie Tovo, and Councilmen Chris Riley and Mike Martinez.

Local Section 8 voucher holders have gained protection via an ordinance passed by Austin City Council that prevents landlords from refusing their method of rental payment.

A Section 8 voucher is a form of government-approved funding used to help those with low incomes pay for housing. The ordinance approved by council during its Dec. 11 meeting would exempt landlords with five or less rental units from complying as of Jan. 12.

Opponents of the approved ordinance, including the Austin Apartment Association and the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas, said the new requirement will create negative or unintended consequences and make it harder to evict problem tenants.

Supporters of the ordinance, including local landlords, ADAPT to Texas and the Austin Tenants Council, said Section 8 voucher holders are typically reliable tenants, and when there is a need to evict someone the process is not as complicated as opponents made it seem.

Christa Noland, executive director of Green Doors, an advocacy group that works to end Central Texas homelessness, said the ordinance's passage will remove one more barrier to housing homeless people—including veterans or disabled people.

"We're trying to end all homelessness in the city. Please don't let this be one more barrier," Noland said.

Councilman Mike Martinez has expressed support for the ordinance since the proposal first came to City Council. He encouraged his colleagues to also support the measure, citing his personal experience as a landlord who rents to tenants who pay using Section 8 vouchers.

"This is your taxpayer dollars; this isn't some boogeyman that's going to destroy your property," Martinez said.

Vote: 7 "yes" votes, 0 "no" votes