SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL - Record No: CB 119015

• Record No: CB 119015
• Version: 3
• Council Bill No: CB 119015
• Type: Ordinance (Ord)
• Status: Passed
• Current Controlling Legislative Body: City Clerk
• On agenda: 8/14/2017
• Ordinance No: Ord 125393
• Title: AN ORDINANCE relating to housing regulations; adding a new Chapter 14.09 (Fair Chance Housing) to the Seattle Municipal Code to regulate the use of criminal history in rental housing; authorizing the Seattle Office for Civil Rights to enforce the regulations set out in this new chapter; and amending Section 3.14.931 of the Seattle Municipal Code to expand the Seattle Human Rights Commission's duties.
• Sponsors: Lisa Herbold, Bruce Harrell
• Supporting documents: 1. Proposed Substitute, 2. Summary and Fiscal Note v2, 3. Summary Att 1 - Racial Equity Toolkit - Fair Chance Housing, 4. Summary and Fiscal Note v1, 5. Mayor's Letter, 6. Office for Civil Rights Memo, 7. Presentation, 8. Central Staff Memo (added 7/25/17), 9. Memo Att A: Proposed Amendment (added 7/25/17), 10. Central Staff Memo, 11. Memo Att A: Proposed Amendment, 12. CF 320351: Documents and Research Supporting CB 119015, 13. Signed Ordinance 125393, 14. Affidavit of Publication

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
8/23/2017	3	City Clerk	attested by City Clerk
8/23/2017	3	Mayor	Signed
8/23/2017	3	Mayor	returned
8/16/2017	3	City Clerk	submitted for Mayor's signature
8/14/2017	1	City Council	passed as amended	Pass
8/8/2017	1	Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development, and Arts Committee	pass as amended	Pass
7/25/2017	1	Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development, and Arts Committee	discussed
6/26/2017	1	City Council	referred
6/22/2017	1	Council President's Office	sent for review
6/20/2017	1	City Clerk	sent for review
6/20/2017	1	Mayor	Mayor's leg transmitted to Council

CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE relating to housing regulations; adding a new Chapter 14.09 (Fair Chance Housing) to the Seattle Municipal Code to regulate the use of criminal history in rental housing; authorizing the Seattle Office for Civil Rights to enforce the regulations set out in this new chapter; and amending Section 3.14.931 of the Seattle Municipal Code to expand the Seattle Human Rights Commission's duties.
body
WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Justice has estimated one in every three adults in the United States has either an arrest or conviction record1; and
WHEREAS, the Center for American Progress reports that nearly half of all children in the U.S. have one parent with a criminal record2; and
WHEREAS, over the past two decades, there has been a rise in the use of criminal background checks to screen prospective tenants for housing; and
WHEREAS, a study by the Vera Institute of Justice has shown that people with stable housing are more likely to successfully reintegrate into society and are less likely to reoffend;3 and
WHEREAS, individuals and parents who have served their time must be able to secure housing if they are to re-enter into society to successfully rebuild their lives and care for their families; and
WHEREAS, African Americans are 3.4 percent of Washington's population but account for nearly 18.4 percent of Washington's prison population;4 Latinos are 11.2 percent of Washington's population but account for 13.2 percent of Washington's prison population;5 and Native Americans are 1.3 percent of the state population but account for 4.7 percent of Washington's prison population;6 and
WHEREAS, racial inequities in the criminal justice system are compounded by racial bias in the rental applicant selection process, as demonstrated by fair housing testing conducted by the Seattle Office for Civil Rights in 2013 that found evidence of different treatment based on race in 64 percen...