This legislative session, we can remove a fundamental barrier to stable housing.
Some landlords refuse to rent to tenants who have income from public benefits as opposed to employment. Since people of color are disproportionately unemployed in Washington state,* these practices reinforce institutional and structural racism, reducing access to stable housing for people living on low incomes and communities of color. The end result: more people are facing homelessness.
The Source of Income Discrimination bill (HB 1565 / SB 5378) will remove this barrier, but we need your help:
- Call the Washington State Legislative Hotline at 1.800.562.6000.
- Tell the operator your zip code.
- Give the message that you SUPPORT PASSAGE OF THE INCOME DISCRIMINATION BILL.
- Your message will be delivered to your legislative district’s representatives and senator.
Here’s a sample message; feel free to personalize it:
“I’m calling to voice my support of the Source of Income Discrimination bill (HB 1565 / SB 5378). I urge you to pass this legislation so that our citizens who are living on the lowest incomes are able to search for housing without discrimination. This simple protection will help more tenants secure housing and avoid homelessness, and is an important way to address our community’s homelessness state of emergency.”
*In 2011, the unemployment rate for all Washingtonians was less than 10%, but while 9.1% of white residents were unemployed, 19.3% of African Americans and 14.8% of Latinos were unemployed.