In the 1930s, homes in this Soap Lake neighborhood carried a covenant that they could “never be sold to or occupied by a person not of the Caucasian race,” according to the homes’ deeds. More than 40,000 homes carried such covenants at one time, making it difficult for minorities to build wealth through homeownership. A bill to expand programs to rectify that imbalance is being discussed in the Washington State Legislature this year.
February 26, 2025
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Bill would expand covenant home ownership, forgive outstanding loans
OLYMPIA — The move toward rectifying Washington’s history of racial segregation in housing could expand, under a bill filed in this year’s legislative session by Rep. Jamilla Taylor, D-Federal Way. HB 1696, sponsored by Taylor and 41 other representatives, would increase the income cap specified in the Covenant Homeownership Program.