STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — The City of Stevens Point’s Public Protection Committee unanimously approved a change to the city’s housing discrimination ordinance to protect transgender citizens on Monday night.

City Attorney Andrew Beveridge said the change isn’t hard to make, and a few words go a long way.

Beveridge said, “The amendment you’re looking at is just a small handful of words repeated several times throughout a couple sections of the ordinance, in an ordinance that’s otherwise quite detailed, but as you can tell from the statement you heard tonight, those words have a big impact.”

Committee Chair Mary McComb said that even though there are federal housing discrimination protections, the city should set an example by making the change to their own ordinance.

“22% of transgender people, nearly a quarter of transgender people, have experienced some form of housing discrimination,” said McComb, citing a study from the National Center for Transgender Equality.

No one at the meeting spoke against the proposal, which recieved vocal support from residents outside of the city as well in it. It goes before the full city council next Monday night.