A Legacy of Harm: Racial covenants in Washington State and Kitsap County

Discover the hidden history of segregation in Washington State with the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project. Despite being outlawed, racist restrictions persist in property records across the state — a toxic residue from an era when local governments actively promoted racial segregation.

Join University of Washington researchers in exploring the local impact of housing segregation, the legacy of these practices on our communities, the archival research process, and the Covenants Homeownership Account Act (HB 1474), a landmark bill that will provide financial assistance to victims of racial restrictive covenants and their descendants.

The Racial Restrictive Covenants Project is powered by research teams at the University of Washington and Eastern Washington University and over 1,000 volunteers. Authorized by the State Legislature in 2021 under HB 1335, the project has identified roughly 50,000 restricted properties across the state, including 30,000 in King County and over 4,000 in Pierce and Snohomish County.