Encountered barriers to housing in the Olympia area? The city wants to hear from you
In an effort to better understand the barriers people face when accessing housing, the city of Olympia has launched a survey for all to take, whether they’re a current homeowner or not.
Christa Lenssen, the city’s housing program specialist, said Thurston County has a home ownership gap of 2,866 households. This means nearly 3,000 households of Black, Indigenous and People of Color would need to become homeowners to close the gap. According to a home ownership disparities report from September, Thurston County is doing better than its surrounding counties.
The Fair Housing survey on the city’s Engage Olympia website will be open until Nov. 20. Though it’s targeted toward discrimination people have faced when trying to access housing, the survey is open to everyone in the county. Lenssen said it will be used to get an overall picture of who is satisfied with their current neighborhood, who has experienced barriers due to screening requirements, and more.
Several local organizations are partnering to use the survey data, including Olympia, Thurston County and the county’s Housing Authority. There are both federal and state laws that protect people from housing discrimination based on several identifiers, including race, religion, family status, disability and more. Military members are also a protected group.
Source of income discrimination, such as for those who receive social security-related benefits or Section 8 vouchers, also isn’t allowed, city spokesperson Carrie McCausland said.
Survey input will also help prioritize funding for future housing projects, according to a news release.
“Access to housing is something we’re actively working to expand in our community and providing fair access is critical,” Lenssen said in the release. “To do this effectively we need to know where we’re already doing great and where our community members may be experiencing barriers.”
There are several resources available if you believe you’ve encountered unfair housing practices in Thurston County. You can visit Olympia’s tenant protections site, or contact the Fair Housing Center of Washington for more information.
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