Lacey declares Fair Housing Month in addressing ongoing housing discrimination 

The Lacey City Council unanimously proclaimed April 2025 as Fair Housing Month at a meeting on Tuesday, April 1. 

The proclamation highlighted the ongoing challenges of achieving equitable housing opportunities decades after the landmark Fair Housing Act of 1968 was established.

It also addressed the persistent disparities in housing access, stating that "more than 50 years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act, discrimination persists and many communities remain segregated."  

The act prohibits housing discrimination based on "race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin.” 

Lacey’s proclamation emphasized the broader societal implications, declaring that "our social fabric, economy, health and environment are strengthened in diverse, inclusive communities."  

It characterized acts of housing discrimination as "contrary to common sense of decency and fairness for all." 

The proclamation highlighted the Federal Fair Housing Act's critical provisions, noting its enactment on April 11, 1968, which aimed to "eliminate racial segregation and end housing discrimination in the United States."  

Mark Kitabayashi, president of Thurston County Realtors Association, laid bare the real estate industry's problematic stance in the past. 

"In 1924, our own code of ethics said the property value was more important than giving equal opportunity to all," he said.

"We actually campaigned against the 1968 passing of fair housing law because we believed property value was the most important thing other than giving an equal opportunity. 

"Of course, that is not who we are today. Today, we are proponents of fair housing, regardless of our belief, regardless of our strategy, housing is important to us.” 

Kitabayashi also highlighted a vision of hope and progress. 

"Hopefully, our goal as an association, as citizens, and as a city council is that in the future, unfair housing becomes history, not a present or future reality in our country,” he added.