Publications

The Seattle Office for Civil Rights supports community-driven solutions to advance race and social justice. Part of that charge includes research and production of reports on policies, practices, and incidents that spotlight inequities and systemic biases, so they can be addressed by city and regional leaders.

Below are links to recent research produced by our staff or by associated work groups.

Reports

Seattle Reentry Workgroup final report: This report fulfills the requirements under Resolution 31637 requesting the Mayor to convene a workgroup to develop policies and strategies that would strengthen the City of Seattle's effort to assist with reentry after incarceration. The Reentry Workgroup's Final Report includes: (1) inventories of the City's current investments for those returning from incarceration; (2) an assessment of City levied criminal and infraction fines and fees and their impact on reentry; and (3) seven strategies to strengthen the City's support and reduce barriers for those living with criminal history.
2017 Seattle Office for Civil Rights Testing Program report: The Seattle Office for Civil Rights' (SOCR) testing program utilizes testers to identify discriminatory practices and bias in access to Seattle's rental housing market using single testers and matched pair design (also known as an audit design). In 2017, the program conducted 192 matched pair tests with conclusive results. In 110 of those (57%), the testers received different treatment because of their perceived race, disability, or other protected class status.
Homeless Encampment Monitoring report: This report is based on observations made during 24 visits to unauthorized encampment sites, including 20 encampment removals that occurred from May through December of 2017. Monitors visited sites that represented a breadth of types, including encampments with large numbers of people residing in them as well as smaller encampments, diversity in location throughout the city, and sites designated as emphasis areas by the City.