SEATTLE - Mayor Ed Murray has announced a new 18-member task force to work on how the city can reduce barriers to housing for people with criminal records.
The volunteer task force will develop proposals to address rental-housing discrimination, provide wider access to rent assistance and increase enforcement of Seattle’s existing fair-housing ordinances.
Task force members include representatives from a number of advocacy organizations and from groups representing both tenants and apartment owners — the Tenants Union of Washing-ton State and the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association.
“Too many of our residents face lifelong barriers to housing due to their criminal histories long after they have served their sentences and paid their debt to society,” Murray said. “Lack of fair access to housing can lead to homelessness and deeper dependence on public services. We must ensure everyone in our community has a fair chance to find a stable home.”
Last December, a coalition led by Columbia Legal Services and the Tenants Union pushed for local legislation limiting apartment owners’ ability to use criminal background checks while screening potential tenants. Apartment owners and managers were opposed, citing the need to protect resident and community safety.
The task force was among the recommendations made last year by Mayor Murray’s Housing Affordability and Livability Advisory Committee.
Source: Seattle Times, Washington Multi-Family Housing Association