Title
Approval of an Ordinance Amending Olympia Municipal Code 5.82 to Address Tenant Screening Practices
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
The Land Use & Environment Committee recommends approving an ordinance addressing tenant screening practices.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve on first reading, and forward to second reading, an ordinance amending Olympia Municipal Code 5.82 addressing tenant screening practices.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve an ordinance addressing tenant screening practices.
Staff Contact:
Christa Lenssen, Senior Housing Program Specialist, Community Planning and Economic Development, 360.570.3762
Presenter(s):
Christa Lenssen, Senior Housing Program Specialist, Community Planning and Economic Development
Background and Analysis:
The City of Olympia has been engaged in discussions about renter protections since 2018. In 2019, Council and Council committees discussed several potential policy options and prioritized a set of actions to explore further. In March 2020, the City's Land Use & Environment Committee (LUEC) held a forum to begin a community conversation about challenges in rental housing and potential solutions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these discussions were put on hold until mid-2021.
This work resumed in 2021 with the development and prioritization of policies based on staff research and review of stakeholder input. This ordinance is part of a package of tenant protections starting in 2022 that have been passed by Olympia City Council under Olympia Municipal Code Chapter 5.82 (known as the Rental Housing Code). Staff discussed tenant screening practices with LUEC and Council on multiple occasions. In early 2024, community engagement related to the City's renter protections work and the countywide Assessment of Fair Housing led to a public hearing intended to solicit feedback about tenant screening and other proposed tenant protections.
November 2024: Staff briefed the LUEC on income t...
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