We wanted to let you know that a critical decision about Screening Criteria for La Quinta Permanent Supportive Housing is coming up by March 21. If you have an opinion on this topic, please voice it now!
Please email elected representatives BY NEXT WEEK how you would like them to vote on the Screening Criteria for our new neighbors at La Quinta Permanent Supportive Housing.
citycouncil@kirklandwa.gov, (and/or reach out to city council members individually) City Manager Ktriplett@kirklandwa.gov, Deputy City Manager jlopez@kirklandwa.gov
There are two resident screening options being discussed.
1) Use King County Behavioral Health and Homelessness tracking data bases and screening criteria. Search the Washington State Sex Offenders database to do an individualized assessment for placement. Do no criminal background check.
2) All of the King County screening AND a national criminal background check.
Adding or excluding #2 is what is being voted on by the city council representatives in the next few days. In the Council meeting, the consideration discussed for Option 2 was that a national criminal background check may work against people of color, therefore should perhaps be excluded. The debate was "does the need for criminal checks trump concerns about profiling". At the end of debate, the Council seemed leaning towards excluding National Background Checks (i.e. choosing Option 1 above). The final decision will be made before March 21.
If you have an opinion on this, please write to them as above.
Read the exact wording of the options here: Attachment C (King County alone) & D (the additional criteria City of Kirkland could vote to include)
https://www.kirklandwa.gov/files/sharedassets/public/city-council/agenda-documents/2023/march-7-2023/9b_business.pdf
WATCH the discussion on La Quinta supportive housing screening options and city council questions to King County here: March 7th city council meeting. Topic starts at 2hrs 33mins. or scroll in the index to Section 9 b.
https://kirkland.granicus.com/player/clip/4744?view_id=54&redirect=true&h=5482ee74b09b12b5b291b9f76c6ae044
Thank you
Central Houghton Neighborhood Association