By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
The King County Council recently approved a motion that calls on County Executive Dow Constantine to provide recommendations to restore justice for race-based restrictive real estate practices, building on a previous, comprehensive report on the impacts of historic redlining across King County for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
“I am very pleased that the motion passed with support from my colleagues, as it lays the groundwork for restorative work in the future,” said King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles, who sponsored the motion. “It’s vital that we acknowledge the injustices of the past as we move forward.”
Redlining practices and restrictive covenants prevented BIPOC residents from accumulating wealth and assets through homeownership. The previous report, a historical overview of race-based restrictive real estate practices, together with identification of neighborhoods or geographic areas of application and racial groups targeted or impacted by such restrictive practices that limited or constrained the opportunity to purchase real estate based on the race of the prospective purchaser, or that had the effect of restricting purchase financing in “redlined” neighborhoods due to the presence of targeted demographic groups.
The motion builds on a comprehensive report examining the consequences of historic redlining and race-based restrictive real estate practices. These practices, including redlining and restrictive covenants, significantly hindered BIPOC residents from accumulating wealth and assets through homeownership.
The report estimates that BIPOC county residents lost intergenerational wealth ranging from $12 billion to $34 billion due to these discriminatory practices. While exploring potential solutions, the report considered an exemption from the County’s wastewater capacity charge. However, it was not recommended due to federal and state legal limitations.
The Black Home Initiative (BHI), a collaborative network dedicated to increasing Black homeownership in Seattle, expressed support for the initiative. BHI stated, “The Black Home Initiative is supportive of efforts that aim to undo the harm created in communities because of racially restrictive housing covenants. We support this legislation as a mechanism to build a better tomorrow for everyone.”
Addressing the broader issue of institutional racism in American life, Regina Malveaux, Chief Impact Officer of United Way of King County, emphasized the responsibility of public institutions to rectify the injustices caused by racist policies.
“When government policies create an uneven playing field that harms particular communities, it is incumbent upon public institutions to redress the wrongs their policies have wrought,” said Malveaux. “These communities have historically been singled out by government legitimization of restrictive real estate covenants. Redlining suppressed the ability of communities of color, particularly Black communities, to accumulate wealth through the biggest engine of family wealth creation in our economy—homeownership.”
“Without access to wealth, families of color are much more vulnerable to the economic downturns we all face from time to time. Making budget reductions with an eye toward the impacts of cuts on communities of color is an entirely appropriate redress of this historical wrong,” Malveaux continued.
Kohl-Welles’ motion aims to build on the report’s findings and seeks additional avenues to redress and atone for the harm done by redlining and other structural racist policies. Various policies explored by other local jurisdictions include direct cash payments, housing assistance, education assistance, job training, land return, and startup capital.
In light of potential budget cuts, the motion urges the Executive to consider general fund budget reduction proposals for the 2025 annual budget. The goal is to minimize the loss of intergenerational wealth, eviction rates, low Black homeownership rates, and general financial insecurity for BIPOC county residents.
“In local government, there are always a million competing priorities, and the next several years will be no different with the revenue shortfall and budget cuts that have been projected,” Kohl-Welles acknowledged. “This report will ensure that we have potential strategies to charter a more equitable future. And, in the meantime, I trust that keeping this work at the forefront will minimize harm to communities that have been underinvested in for decades.”