« Legal Tender and ISIS | into the den » |
your next go at finding an apartment in Seattle might be thwarted
... or so would be among the impacts of a proposed new Seattle ordinance, described in a story given a somewhat misleading headline by the Stranger:Â "Your Next Landlord May Be Required to Offer You a Payment Plan for Deposits and Other Move-In Fees"
The story reports that advocates appear to think that by making such a law that there won't be consequences that subvert their objectives (links retained from source):
supporters have said it will make housing more accessible to vulnerable people as Seattle—particularly crucial as the city faces a homelessness and housing crisis. Survivors of domestic violence have testified that the high costs of moving into a new apartment kept them in dangerous situations, and a representative for the Seattle Education Association said it will help teachers afford to live in the city. In a report by the advocacy group Washington CAN, survey respondents cited high upfront costs as a barrier to moving that was particularly bad for people of color, older people, people with disabilities, and queer and trans people.
It's not clear how advocates expect to make housing more accessible in Seattle by taking steps that make it less available.