Spokane outlaws discriminating against homeless job applicants

It will soon be illegal in Spokane for an employer to ask a prospective employee if they’re homeless or reject their application solely because they do not have a permanent address.

The Spokane City Council voted 6-1 Monday in favor of the law, titled “Ban the Address” as a riff on “Ban the box” laws that prohibit inquiries about an applicant’s prior convictions. Councilman Jonathan Bingle was the sole vote against.

City officials believe Spokane is the first in the nation to pass such a law.

“Housing status should never define someone’s potential,” Councilman Paul Dillon said. “Employment really is a critical way we have to reduce homelessness and help people get back on their feet.”

Employers can still request a mailing address or other contact information from candidates solely to contact the applicant as part of the hiring process. The ordinance only impacts hiring decisions based on an applicant’s housing status, not on other behaviors or conditions.

“I think one of the most effective ways out of homelessness is a job, and it is a proven path to stability, so it makes sense to remove a barrier like this,” Councilman Michael Cathcart said.

The ordinance saw broad support from community organizations, ranging from Spokane Business Association President Brad Barnett to Tenants Union of Washington State’s Executive Director Terri Anderson.

Bingle said that he went back and forth on the issue, but felt that employers would not decline to hire a qualified candidate just because they were homeless.

“I just feel like, right now, it’s really difficult for employers in the state of Washington already,” Bingle said. “I don’t want to keep adding more requirements to the employers.”

The law approved Monday was originally just a part of a larger reform bill proposed last year by Councilwoman Lili Navarrete, colloquially referred to as the “homeless bill of rights,” which would have also made it illegal to use someone’s homelessness to refuse to rent to them or to serve them in a business.

Existing civil rights laws already prohibit businesses from rejecting a job applicant or refusing to serve a customer because of their race, religion or other protected class, with some exceptions. The law considered last year would have added homelessness to those protected classes.

After significant pushback ahead of the 2023 elections, the proposal was tabled and significantly pared down to the law approved Monday.

“We had several testimonies from folks that came up here and shared that they lived in cars or in shelters and wanted to succeed and get a job, but were denied because of their address,” Navarrete said. “Nobody should be denied if they don’t have anywhere to live; that is discrimination.”