Registered citizens know how difficult it can be for those with a criminal record to find adequate housing. The Seattle City Council is considering a bill that would prohibit landlords from automatically banning ex-felons from housing complexes. According to a report in Seattle Weekly, the council is also considering prohibiting landlords from using criminal background checks altogether.
“Why should we have a law that allows landlords to extrajudiciously punish somebody?” said Councilmember Lisa Herbold. “That’s what our criminal justice system is for, so why should somebody be able to withhold housing from somebody, to continue their sentence, when the courts have determined that their sentence has already been served and they’ve paid the price of their crime?”
Would landlords also be prohibited from excluding people on the sex offender registry?
Read the full article here.