County votes to expand fair housing law

Measure bans bias based on sexual orientation

LORRINE THOMPSON, THE OLYMPIAN

THURSTON COUNTY -- County commissioners approved a law Monday that makes it illegal to discriminate against a person's sexual orientation during real estate transactions.

"Based on what we heard at public hearings, we added a voluntary mandatory arbitration step," County Administrator Don Krupp told commissioners Monday.

That step means people involved in disputes have the option to go into arbitration, but they must then comply with the ruling. The law includes mediation and the right for people who feel they've been discriminated against to file a lawsuit.

Law details

County legal staff and commissioners began working on the law early last year, at the request of the Black Hills Alliance, an advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

The cities of Tumwater, Olympia and Lacey have approved similar laws.

The new law makes it illegal to discriminate in real estate transactions based on race, creed, color, national origin, families with children, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age or disability.

The law also defines real estate transactions as many activities, including renting or selling housing, making conditions on housing, refusing negotiation, refusing to list properties and more.

Exceptions to the law include:

- Allowing religious institutions that own housing to give preference to members of that institution.

- Reserving housing specifically designed for seniors or people with disabilities for people who meet those definitions.

- Subletting of rooms within a home or other housing where the owner still resides is exempt from the law.

People who believe they are discriminated against can file complaints with the Thurston County administrator and then be referred to mediation. Participants can also choose to go into binding arbitration, or an injured party can choose to file a lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court.

In a public hearing in December, representatives of rental associations supported the law but requested another step between mediation and lawsuits.

Three county residents objected to the law based on religious beliefs, while about a dozen residents spoke in support of the law.

"I'm glad to see this get passed," said County Commissioner Cathy Wolfe.

"It's a fabulous piece of work," said Anna Schlecht, a member of Black Hills Alliance. "Very creative."

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