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Spokane council adopts ‘ban the address’ ordinance to remove applicant address from early hiring steps
Summary
The Spokane City Council voted 6–1 to bar employers from asking for applicants’ addresses early in the hiring process, aiming to reduce a barrier experienced by unhoused and housing‑insecure jobseekers; supporters called it a low‑cost, dignity‑preserving change and opponents said it does not solve homelessness.
The Spokane City Council voted 6–1 to adopt Ordinance C36666, known locally as the “ban the address” ordinance, which prohibits employers from asking job applicants for their home address during the hiring process.
The ordinance’s sponsors and supporters described it as a simple, low‑cost step to reduce an unfair hiring barrier for people experiencing homelessness or housing instability. “This ordinance makes it clear that we value people for what they bring to the table, not where they lay their head at night,” Terry Anderson, director of the Spokane Office of the Tenants Union of…
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