Seattle: Don't ban credit checks for rental housing

1. February 8, 2021
To: Members of the Seattle City Council
From: Roger Valdez, Seattle For Growth
You have received a communication from the Seattle Renter’s Commission urging
the end of credit checks for rental housing.
This is, once again, a bad idea masquerading as compassion.
Sweeping credit scores under the rug doesn’t help poor people. Why aren’t we
doing things to solve the reasons for bad credit and investing in credit repair?
Good credit is valuable. Let’s help people get it.
In the communication you received, there is no effort to address poverty and risk.
People who are struggling in this economy or at any time want to be economically
successful, and our policies in housing should aim at making that possible. And
housing providers need quantitative measures of risk.
The problem is risk. What’s the solution?
• Please invite us to seriously discuss this issue with you with people who own,
operate, and manage housing. They can explain how and why they use credit
scores.
• Credit scores are a way of managing risk. If someone asked to borrow your
car, you’d want some way to assess the risk that they would not return it or
bring it back damaged.
• If you want to work with housing providers to arrive at better ways to assess
risk, that is something housing providers would be happy to discuss.
• The City could establish a fund that could help people who have bad credit
and need housing offset that risk; when they have success in their tenancy,
that success can help improve their credit.
• Any rental business is risky, and banning quantitative measures of risk will
result in higher prices for housing and some providers being unable to
continue to offer their property for rental.
There are sensible and collaborative ways to discuss risk, how to reduce it, and most
importantly, help people with poor credit and economic challenges overcome those
to be successful and prosperous. Let’s have that conversation.
Sincerely,
Roger Valdez
Director