City of Spokane 2024 Housing Survey for Housing Providers and Their Advocates - Please respond by 4/7/24

Purpose of Survey

As a recipient of US Dept. of Housing & Urban Development funds, Spokane is required to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing.

The Spokane CHHS Department has contracted with Northwest Fair Housing Alliance to prepare the 2024 Fair Housing Plan. The Fair Housing Plan will be used to identify fair housing issues in Spokane and set goals to overcome barriers to fair housing,

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey to provide input on fair housing issues in the City of Spokane.

This survey has been designed to elicit input from current and former housing providers (e.g., property managers, landlords, real estate brokers, and mortgage lenders and originators) and their advocates (landlord associations and landlord attorneys).

Completing this survey is not the same as filing a complaint.

Please contact Marley Hochendoner at (509) 209-2667 or execdir@nwfairhouse.org if you have questions about this survey or the 2024 Fair Housing Plan.

Question Title

* 1. Where do you live? (*The first questions ask about your demographic information, to provide information on whether survey responders are representative of all protected classes, geographies and roles in housing transactions in Spokane)

City of Spokane

Other town or city within the County of Spokane

Unincorporated Spokane County

Other town or city in WA outside of Spokane County

Outside of WA State

Other (please specify)

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* 2. Which best describes your role as a housing provider?

Provider / employee of a homeless shelter

Property manager

Leasing Agent

Landlord

Real estate broker

Mortgage broker, originator, or lender

Insurance provider

Appraiser

Landlord association employee or representative

Landlord attorney

Provider / employee for transitional housing

Developer of housing

Other (please specify)

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* 3. If you own, manage, or provide services at dwelling units, how many units do you own, manage, or serve?

2-3

5-9

10-15

16-20

21-30

31-50

51-75

76-100

101-150

151-200

201+

Other (please specify)

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* 4. If you own, manage, or provide services for rental units, where are they located?

City of Spokane

Other town or city in WA within Spokane County

Other town or city in WA outside of Spokane County

Unincorporated Spokane County

Outside of WA State

Other (please specify)

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* 5. What is your race?

Black or African American

Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

Asian

Native American, Alaskan Native or Indigenous

White non-Hispanic

Hispanic or Latino

2 or more Races

Other Race

Other (please specify)

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* 6. Are you Hispanic, Latino or Latinx?

Yes

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* 7. Do you or does someone in your household have a disability?

Yes

If yes, is it a mental or physical disability?

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* 8. What is your sexual orientation?

Heterosexual

Gay or Lesbian

Bisexual

Pansexual

Asexual

Other (please specify)

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* 9. What is your gender?

Female assigned at birth (cisgender)

Male assigned at birth (cisgender)

Transgender Female

Transgender Male

Gender-nonconforming

Intersex

Bi-gender

Other (please specify)

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* 10. Do you have children under 18 in your household?

Yes

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* 11. How many people are in your household?

6 or more

Other (please specify)

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* 12. Which best describes your annual income?

No income

$12,000 or less

$18,000 or less

$22,500 or less

$26,215 or less

$29,960 or less

$33,705 or less

$37,450 or less

$44,940 or less

$56,200 or less

$75,000 or less

$103,400 or less

$103,401 or more

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* 13. Please select any of the following that you believe are protected under federal or state fair housing laws (*The next questions focus on your fair housing knowledge, beliefs, and experiences in Spokane)

Race

Color

Religion

National Origin

Sex

Disability

Familial state (children)

Sexual orientation

Military / Veteran status

Creed

Immigration or citizenship status

Marital status (Married or Not Married)

Source of income

Age

Other (please specify)

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* 14. How well do you understand fair housing laws?

I don’t know anything about fair housing laws

I understand some of the basics

I have a good understanding of fair housing laws

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* 15. How often do you believe that discrimination in the rental of housing occurs in Spokane?

It does not occur

Rarely

Occasionally

Commonly

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* 16. If you believe that discrimination occurs in the rental of housing in Spokane, on what bases do you believe that discrimination is most often based on?

Age

Political ideology

Criminal history

National origin

Race

Disability

Color

Sexual Orientation

Marital status

Source of Income

Sex/Gender

Familial Status (children under 18)

Veteran Status

Religion

Immigration / Citizenship Status

Other (please specify)

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* 17. If you believe that discrimination occurs in the rental of housing in Spokane, why do you believe it most often occurs?

Unconscious or immediate thought process

Intentional bias

Laws and written or unwritten policies within institutions and across systems

Deeply embedded beliefs and company culture within institutions and across systems

All of the Above

Other (please specify)

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* 18. How often do you believe that discrimination in the sale of housing occurs in Spokane?

It does not occur

Rarely

Occasionally

Commonly

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* 19. If you believe that discrimination occurs in the sale of housing in Spokane, on what bases do you believe that discrimination is most often based on?

Age

National origin

Race

Disability

Color

Sexual Orientation

Marital status

Source of Income

Sex/Gender

Familial Status (children under 18)

Veteran Status

Religion

Immigration / Citizenship Status

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 20. If you believe that discrimination occurs in the sale of housing in Spokane, why do you believe it most often occurs?

Unconscious or immediate thought process

Intentional bias

Laws and written or unwritten policies within institutions and across systems

Deeply embedded beliefs and company culture within institutions and across systems

All of the Above

Other (please specify)

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* 21. How often do you believe that discrimination in mortgage lending occurs in Spokane?

It does not occur

Rarely

Occasionally

Commonly

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* 22. If you believe that discrimination occurs in mortgage lending in Spokane, on what bases do you believe that discrimination is most often based on?

Age

National origin

Race

Disability

Color

Sexual Orientation

Marital status

Source of Income

Sex/Gender

Familial Status (children under 18)

Veteran Status

Religion

Immigration / Citizenship Status

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 23. If you believe that discrimination occurs in the mortgage lending in Spokane, why do you believe it most often occurs?

Unconscious or immediate thought process

Intentional bias

Laws and written or unwritten policies within institutions and across systems

Deeply embedded beliefs and company culture within institutions and across systems

All of the Above

Other (please specify)

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* 24. Which agency(cies) could a person contact to file a fair housing complaint?

Washington State Attorney General

Northwest Fair Housing Alliance

U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development

Washington State Human Rights Commission

Northwest Justice Project

Spokane Housing Authority

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 25. What are you most concerned about with respect to fair housing opportunity in Spokane? Check your top 5 concerns.

Rental affordability – cost of rental and impact on protected classes

Housing purchase affordability – cost of home purchase and impact on protected classes

Rental unit availability – quantity available for rent and impact on protected classes

Availability of homes for sale – quantity available for sale and impact on protected classes

Public transportation – frequency or connections between housing and employment / education opportunities

Accessibility of rental properties for individuals with disabilities

Habitability (quality/condition) of rental properties and impact on protected classes

Representation of people of different protected classes on City Boards and Commissions

Zoning and siting of housing that impacts protected classes

Ability to provide input on decisions and policies affecting funding, siting, zoning and development of housing and housing services that impact protected classes

Use of criminal records for rental applicants and impact on protected classes

Technology requirements to access housing – searching, submitting applications, screening, paying rent, etc.

Acceptance of vouchers, subsidies, or alternative sources of income by housing providers

Discrimination in mortgage lending because of protected class

Discrimination in home sales because of protected class

Discrimination in rental housing because of protected class

Steering of home buyers to neighborhoods by real estate agents because of protected class

Steering of tenants to housing complexes by property managers because of protected class

Discrimination in appraisals because of protected class

Discrimination in property or home owner insurance because of protected class

Other (please specify)

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* 26. Who is in need of increased fair housing education?

Tenants

Landlords

Property managers

Real estate brokers

Mortgage lenders, originators, and brokers

Healthcare providers

Social service providers

Homebuyers

Other (please specify)

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* 27. What is the most effective way to provide fair housing information to housing providers in Spokane?

Television public service announcements

Radio public service announcements

Newspaper public service announcements

Brochures

Information tables at community events

In-person training

Live webinars

Online pre-recorded training

Social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)

Other (please specify)

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* 28. What languages are most needed for fair housing education materials in Spokane?

Spanish

Ukrainian

Russian

Chinese

Arabic

Nepali

Japanese

Korean

French

Vietnamese

Marshallese

Laotian

Hindi

Swahili

Farsi

Pashto

Dari

Tagalog

Sign Languages

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 29. What is most needed to improve equal access to housing opportunities in Spokane?

Fair housing training

Fair housing testing and investigation

Fair housing public service announcements

Fair housing enforcement by govt. administrative agencies

Fair housing enforcement in the courts

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 30. What fair housing topics would you like more training about?

Assistance animals

Reasonable accommodations

Reasonable modifications

Source of income discrimination

Use of criminal history records in screening applicants

Design and construction requirements

Fair housing basics

Immigration, citizenship, and national origin protected class issues

Sexual orientation and gender identity protected class issues

Disability protected class issues

Familial status protected class issues

Fair lending

Fair housing for real estate brokers

Race and color protected class issues

Sex harassment and domestic violence protected class issues

Other (please specify)

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* 31. Are you aware of any housing policies or practices in Spokane that are barriers fair housing and equal access to housing opportunties?

Yes

If yes, please explain

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* 32. Have you ever accepted a voucher (section 8, VASH, etc.) or other subsidy (HEN, etc.) from a tenant?

Yes

N/A

If Yes, what type?

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* 33. If you have accepted a voucher (section 8, VASH, etc.) or other subsidy (HEN, etc.) from a tenant, how would you describe the experience(s)?

Negative

Neutral

Positive

Mixed - positive and negative experiences

N/A

Additional information:

Question Title

* 34. Have you ever received a reasonable accommodation or modification request from a person with a disability?

Yes

If yes, please describe

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* 35. Has a fair housing complaint ever been filed against you or your company?

Yes

If yes, on what basis and how did it resolve?

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* 36. I believe I have witnessed illegal discrimination by someone in my industry against someone attempting to rent a dwelling unit, because of their protected class.

True

False

If true, please explain

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* 37. I believe I have witnessed illegal discrimination by someone in my industry against someone during their tenancy (treated differently because of protected class, harassed because of protected class, etc.)

True

False

If true, please explain

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* 38. I believe I have witnessed illegal discrimination by someone in my industry against a person attempting to purchase a home in Spokane, based on their protected class.

True

False

If true, please explain

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* 39. I believe I have witnessed steering to a particular area of Spokane, neighborhood, or housing complex, by a person in my industry, because of protected class.

True

False

If true, please explain

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* 40. I have had difficulty obtaining, or have had to pay higher premiums, for property insurance in Spokane, because the occupants of dwelling units I manage, own or serve have disabilities, are unrelated, or have assistance animals or children.

True

False

N/A

If true, please explain

Question Title

* 41. I have witnessed lending discrimination by someone in my industry because of a mortgage applicant's protected class (race, disability, sex, national origin, etc.)

True

False

If true, please explain