The city of Kirkland narrowly passed an anti-discrimination law March 19 prohibiting landlords from turning down rental applications simply because the prospective tenants use federally subsidized Section 8 Housing Vouchers.
The vouchers allow tenants making less than 30 percent of the area median income to rent any unit on the open market.
The government pays a subsidy directly to the landlord. (“Kirkland considers banning Section 8 rent discrimination,” RC, March 6).
The Kirkland City Council passed the ordinance in a 4-3 vote. In passing the law, Kirkland joins 34 jurisdictions in the area banning Section 8 discrimination, including Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond.
The city passed the ordinance at the request of A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH), an affordable housing group of 15 Eastside cities and King County.
Kirkland has not received any formal complaints about Section 8 discrimination, according to Dawn Nelson, Kirkland’s planning supervisor.
But people attending the March 19 city council meeting said they have been denied rentals because of their vouchers.
Tenants in Redmond had a similar experience before a Section 8 discrimination law was passed there. Tenants at one complex received notice that their vouchers would no longer be accepted. The Redmond City Council enacted the legislation in response.
Kirkland’s ordinance requires landlords to use the same screening process for Section 8 renters as they do with other applicants, which can include credit and rental history checks.
The councilmembers who voted against Kirkland’s new ordinance said they worried that the law would drive landlords to sell their property rather than rent.