Speaker 2: Thank you, Madam Clerk. The bill passes and the chair will sign it. Please read. Agenda item number one into the record. I'm asking that, if you wouldn't mind, if we could go back to the payment of bills, you announced that the chair would sign it, if you wouldn't mind also providing direction for the clerk to fix your signature to the bills. Madam Clerk, it would be fantastic if you could sign me in on the Bills on my behalf. Please affix my signature to the legislation and that would make it official, if you don't mind.
Speaker 0: Thank you.
Speaker 2: Moving on to item number one, the report of the Finance and.
Speaker 0: Housing Committee, General 14119752 relating to fair housing, regulating rental housing, bidding platforms, repealing a one year prohibition on use of rental housing bidding platforms, repealing section.
Speaker 2: 7.20 4.97 of the code.
Speaker 0: And adding and amending Section.
Speaker 2: 7.24 point 0/20.
Speaker 0: Columns. The Code Committee recommends the bill pass.
Speaker 2: Excellent counsel, colleagues. This is a bill that we introduced from my Office of Councilmember Mosquito about two years ago. We had an initial ordinance that asked for the Office of Housing to do an evaluation of the rent bidding platforms, and it also included a one year prohibition on the use of these platforms. The the prohibition was to provide our office with an an understanding of whether or not these platforms were in violation of our fair housing laws or to analyze how they may impact housing costs or inequities in our area. The Office of Housing needed additional time to complete the study, so we extended the prohibition for another year. In 2019, the Office of Housing has completed its report. It was sent to council last midyear last year and it found that it found that the city needed additional data to determine whether or not there was any impacts from rent bidding platforms on our Seattle Fair Housing Ordinance. And it recommended for specific actions. The piece of legislation in front of you updates our statute to make sure that we're repealing the prohibition and also includes provisions responsive to the Office of Housing Report. This includes a request that Office of Housing collect data to track whether or not meeting platforms are functioning for bidding purposes or other non bidding functions. And. And to determine whether or not the platforms are having an impact on equitable access to housing, it requests that the Office of Civil Rights conduct testing to determine if remedying platforms are in compliance with fair housing laws. It requests that if data shows that bidding platforms are having an impact on equitable access to housing, that the OCR and Office of Housing will provide recommendations on possible regulations to mitigate unintended consequences. And it encourages rent bidding platforms to post the Seattle Open Housing poster on their website. Colleagues, I would love to have your support on this. It came out of our Finance and Housing Committee with a unanimous vote and appreciate office of how things work to provide these recommendations to us. Are there any other comments? He's hearing none. Well, the point where the clerk please call the role on the passage of the bill.
Speaker 0: Council members so want. Council member Strauss. I council member Herbold. I. Councilmember Juarez. Hi. Councilmember Lewis. I council member morales. I. Councilmember Peterson.
Speaker 4: I.
Speaker 0: Council President Macheda.
Speaker 2: I.
Speaker 0: Seven in favor, then opposed.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Madam Clerk. The bill passage and the chair will sign it. Will the clerk please affix my signature? This is Councilmember Mosquito. To the legislation on my behalf. I was acting as President Pro tem. And I'm Claire could you please read items to through five together into the record.
AN ORDINANCE relating to fair housing; regulating rental housing bidding platforms; repealing a one-year prohibition on use of rental housing bidding platforms; repealing Section 7.24.090 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and amending Section 7.24.020 of the Seattle Municipal Code.