Spokane Leads Nation With First Law Banning Address Bias In Hiring
The new ordinance recognizes that job seekers who are unhoused, including those using shelter ... More addresses or P.O. boxes, often face rejection based on perceived instability or stigma.
The conversation around fair chance hiring continues to evolve, and the City of Spokane, Washington, has taken a groundbreaking step to push it forward. On April 25, 2025, Mayor Lisa Brown signed into law Ordinance No. C36666, known as the 'Ban the Address' ordinance. This first-of-its-kind law prohibits employers from asking about an applicant's address or housing history until after making a provisional offer of employment. It becomes effective 30 days after the mayor's signature, with a compliance deadline of May 25, 2025.
Spokane is now the first city in the nation to treat housing status as a barrier to employment in the same way it has treated criminal history, by limiting when and how employers can consider it. For employers, this signals a major shift in how to approach candidate screening and job applications, especially when operating within the city limits.
'I am proud of the compromise and collaboration that got us to make history tonight in Spokane,' said Council Member Paul Dillon, who sponsored the bill. 'This ordinance represents a major step forward, providing hope, dignity, and opportunity to workers who have faced challenges due to not having a permanent residence.'
Spokane is no stranger to fair chance hiring reforms. In 2018, the city enacted a 'ban the box' ordinance that prohibits private employers from inquiring about a candidate's criminal history until after a conditional job offer or interview. The law bars employers from including language like 'no felons' in job postings and limits the use of arrest and conviction records unless they relate directly to the job. The ordinance, codified in Chapter 09.02 of the Spokane Municipal Code, applies to most private employers and carries civil penalties for noncompliance. With 'Ban the Address,' Spokane expands its fair chance approach to include housing status, reinforcing its commitment to equitable access to employment.
The new ordinance recognizes that job seekers who are unhoused, including those using shelter addresses or P.O. boxes, often face rejection based on perceived instability or stigma. According to the Spokane Human Rights Commission, individuals have reported being denied jobs simply because they listed an address associated with a shelter or temporary housing.
'This ordinance addresses a specific contributing factor: lack of employment,' said Council Member Lili Navarrete. 'We heard from many constituents who testified that they were denied employment because they lived in their cars or shelters. We listened to their concerns and took action.'
By prohibiting address inquiries before a job offer, Spokane aims to ensure that employment decisions rest on skills and experience, not on where someone sleeps at night.
The ordinance amends sections of the Spokane Municipal Code (SMC §§ 9.02.010 through 9.02.050 and §§ 9.03.010 and 9.03.020), and its requirements apply to all private employers operating within city limits. Public employers are covered by a parallel provision. Here are the most important takeaways:
No address inquiries before a conditional job offer.
Employers may not ask for an applicant's address or residence history, whether on a job application, during an interview, or at any point before extending a provisional offer of employment. While the ordinance does not define 'provisional offer,' the term can generally be understood to mean a conditional job offer contingent on other hiring criteria, such as background or drug screening.
No disqualification based on housing status.
Employers cannot reject applicants simply because they are unhoused, live in shelters, or use P.O. boxes. They may only consider housing status if it directly relates to job duties and doing so complies with state and federal laws.
Mailing address fields are still allowed.
Employers may ask for a mailing address or preferred method of contact, but not for information that would reveal an applicant's housing status before a job offer.
Expanded protections in job advertising and disqualification criteria.
The ordinance reiterates that employers cannot advertise jobs using language that excludes applicants with criminal records or those without a fixed address. Disqualifying someone based on housing status before determining they are otherwise qualified violates the law.
No private right of action, but enforcement is local.
The law does not create a private right of action. Instead, the City of Spokane retains enforcement authority through municipal court and complaints reported by residents.
Spokane's new ordinance aligns with a broader state trend toward equitable hiring practices. Washington law already prohibits employers from seeking a candidate's prior wage or salary history and requires most employers to include wage ranges and benefits in job postings. Together with Spokane's existing fair chance hiring ordinance, Ban the Address underscores a growing expectation that employers evaluate qualifications and potential, not personal background or instability.
While Spokane may be the first, it likely won't be the last. Other jurisdictions, especially those where homelessness intersects heavily with employment access, may look to Spokane's ordinance as a model. Much like 'ban the box' laws, which began as local experiments and then expanded nationally, 'ban the address' policies could gain momentum.
Employers should proactively review their application materials, screening workflows, and recruiter scripts to ensure compliance. Employers should work closely with their ATS and onboarding system providers to ensure that application forms and internal workflows do not prompt address inquiries prematurely. When initiating background checks, employers must ensure that address information is not collected or submitted to screening partners until after a provisional offer has been extended.
It also raises the question of whether broader fair chance hiring frameworks will continue to expand to cover other categories, including credit history and gaps in employment. For now, Spokane has taken a bold step toward reshaping what equitable hiring can look like in practice.
As Dillon noted, the ordinance provides 'hope, dignity, and opportunity' to those often excluded. Council Member Navarrete echoed this message, stating, 'I hope this ordinance helps remove one more barrier to achieving a successful life for members of our community.'
Employers in Spokane must act quickly to comply with the new ordinance. The law takes effect on May 25, 2025. As the legal landscape shifts, companies would be wise to treat this as more than a local ordinance, it's a signal that regulators are watching how employers treat applicants who are most vulnerable to exclusion.
With this ordinance, the Spokane City Council has moved beyond legislative change; it has prompted a broader reconsideration of empathy and equity in employment decisions.
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At the time, the county had narrowed down potential sites to the city-owned Playfair parcel and the county-owned former Old Union Stockyards. French said the county elected for the latter site because of its proximity to the river and low altitude, allowing gravity to do a lot of the work for the county's system. Based on the newspaper's reporting at the time, and interviews with local officials, the implications of the utility tax statute were not included in any studies or analyses of either site, despite both falling within city limits. There was never a written agreement put in place dictating that the city would not pursue the tax because the two entities had an established "honorable" relationship, French said. "It was a much healthier environment than it is today," French said. "I regret that we don't have the same relationship where we could trust our partners and address what's important to our constituents." 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