District 1 City Councilmember Lisa Herbold's Source of Income Discrimination legislation was brought before a City Council committee on July 22 and unanimously voted to be brought before the full Council on Aug. 8.

Later in the day Herbold attended a meeting at Arrowhead Gardens, whose senior residents consider affordable housing a top priority.

Hebold's legislation protects tenants who pay rent with alternative sources of income, makes the screening practice fairer, adds eviction safeguards and bans Preferred Employer Programs.

“Today’s vote is a significant step towards increasing fair access to rental housing,” said Herbold. According to the Seattle’s Renting Crisis Report from the Washington Community Action Network, “48% of individuals who pay for rent with Social Security Disability Insurance or Social Security retirement income said that discrimination prevents them from having successful rental applications.”

Councilmember Kshama Sawant said, “The movement of tenants in Seattle continues to win victories toward a full-fledged Tenants' Bill of Rights. Thank you to Councilmember Herbold and tenant activists for this important protection against housing discrimination."

Councilmember Mike O’Brien applauded the bill. “We are living through a housing affordability crisis. It’s essential to protect low-income renters from being displaced. Today's legislation is directly based on what we heard from communities most impacted by discriminatory landlord practices.”

Sponsored by Herbold, the Source of Income Discrimination legislation was unanimously voted out of the Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development and Arts Committee. Currently it is illegal to discriminate against a prospective renter whose primary source of income is a Section 8 voucher. This bill expands the legally protected classes to include alternate sources of income such as a pension, Social Security, unemployment, child support or any other governmental or non-profit subsidy.

The Committee discussed the bill on May 24 and June 14. In light of these discussions, the legislation was amended to add further protections:

1. First-Come, First-Served Screening Practice

Prevents housing providers from giving applicants with alternative sources of income a lower priority. It requires landlords to review applications one at a time, on a first-come, first-served basis.

2. New Eviction Protections

Ensures that tenants can fully utilize community resources to prevent eviction. Landlords will be required to accept pledges from community-based organizations to remedy nonpayment of rent if funds are received within 5 days of an eviction notice.

3. Preferred Employer Programs Banned

Encourages landlords to offer non-discriminatory move-in incentives. In 2015, both media and community members reported discounts on deposits and other move-in fees for rental applicants working for preferred employers. The Seattle of Office of Civil Rights recently concluded that some preferred employer programs that provide discounts or other terms and conditions in rental housing to certain groups over others may constitute discrimination under Seattle’s Open Housing Ordinance (SMC 14.08).

The full council will vote on the legislation on Monday, August 8 at 2pm in Council Chambers (2nd floor / 600 4th Ave, Seattle 98104.) The public is encouraged to attend.