Today marks a significant stride forward in our collective fight against displacement and the preservation of Black homeownership in Seattle! Mayor Bruce Harrell has announced powerful new legislation designed to curb predatory homebuying practices – a direct answer to the calls from our community to protect our homes and our generational wealth.

For too long, Black homeowners, particularly our seniors and those in financially vulnerable situations, have been targeted by unsolicited, aggressive offers for their homes. These tactics often pressure families into selling below market value, stripping away hard-earned equity and accelerating displacement from the very neighborhoods we’ve built and sustained for generations.

This new legislation is a critical step in putting power back into the hands of homeowners. It’s about ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability in real estate transactions, and it aligns perfectly with Black Legacy Homeowners’ unwavering commitment to keeping our families rooted and strong.

What Does This New Legislation Mean for YOU?

These new protections are designed to safeguard homeowners by:

• Empowering You with Information: Buyers will now be required to inform homeowners of their rights, including how to access a fair market appraisal (with the buyer covering the cost) and the right to hire a real estate agent and seek legal counsel.

• Providing Time to Decide: Homeowners will have a crucial 10 business days after signing a purchase contract (or 10 days after receiving an appraisal) to cancel the agreement. This provides vital breathing room against high-pressure tactics.

• Holding Predatory Buyers Accountable: The City will now have the power to fine individuals or businesses that fail to comply with these new regulations. Furthermore, it establishes a private right of action, allowing homeowners to seek legal recourse if a buyer violates the ordinance.

This legislation goes even further than State House Bill 1081, imposing more stringent fines and providing greater notice and time for homeowners to protect themselves.

As our Executive Director, Chukundi Salisbury, stated: “For too long, Black homeowners in Seattle have been targeted, pressured, and pushed out by predatory buyers who see our homes as profit, not legacy. This legislation is about putting power back in the hands of our elders, our families, and our community. At Black Legacy Homeowners, we’ve seen how some high-pressure, shady deals can tear apart neighborhoods and erase decades of hard-earned equity. These protections will help Black homeowners stay rooted and strong in the face of gentrification and displacement.”

This is a testament to what we can achieve when we advocate together. It strengthens our “We are Still Here and We Shall Not Be Moved!” movement. We will continue to monitor this legislation as it moves through the City Council’s Housing and Human Service Committee and keep you informed.

Stay vigilant, stay connected, and continue to empower yourselves with knowledge.

Sincerely,

The Black Legacy Homeowners Team

#WeAreStillHere #BlackHomeownership #AntiDisplacement #HousingJustice #Seattle #ProtectOurHomes

Walk the Block Institute keynote speaker will be Germane Barnes, a Miami-based architect, designer and educator. Germane Barnes’ research and design practice investigates the connection between architecture and identity. Mining architecture’s social and political agency, he examines how the built environment influences black domesticity. Currently, he is an Associate Professor and Director of the Community Housing Identity Lab (CHIL) at the University Of Miami School Of Architecture. Barnes is the 2021 Harvard GSD Wheelwright Prize winner, Rome Prize Fellow and winner of the Architectural League Prize. His design and research contributions have been published and exhibited in several international institutions. Most notably, The Museum of Modern Art, Pin-Up Magazine, The Graham Foundation, The New York Times, Architect Magazine, DesignMIAMI/ Art Basel, The Swiss Institute, Metropolis Magazine, Curbed, and The National Museum of African American History where he was identified as one of the future designers on the rise. He has recently been selected as one of Wallpaper USA’s 400 list, which “honors the people defining America’s creative landscape in 2024.”

The Central Area Cultural EcoSystem, 21st Century (CACE 21) is Wa Na Wari’s community organizing initiative that seeks to build community power and capacity amongst Black Central District homeowners and Black cultural workers to advocate for land use policies that lower the barriers to creating more cultural spaces based on the Wa Na Wari model.

In this model, Black homeowners would be able to convert all or portions of homes they own into “micro-cultural spaces” where individual artists and small arts groups can administer, create, and present their cultural works as a community activity and public benefit. These spaces would be scalable for neighborhood life, responsive to the needs and norms of Black communal life, and would provide economic opportunities for Black homeowners and new opportunities for displaced cultural workers alike. Our vision is a response to the housing affordability crisis that is impacting residential, commercial, and cultural opportunities for Seattleites at large and Black Seattleites in particular.

During Walk the Block Institute, CACE 21 will lead a series of Creative Community Building Workshops (stay tuned for details)! Register for Walk the Block Institute ! Please register here