Yakima Cancels Crime-Free Housing Program After 17 Years

It's called the Crime Free Rental Housing Program and it's been evicted by the city of Yakima.

CAUSED BY SHORT STAFFING

The Yakima Police Department Facebook page says the city has ended the program in order "to remove additional duty on the already short-staffed Services Division." The program was started in 2006 and was designed to help cut down crime in area neighborhoods. Yakima Police say the program helped landlords and residents with a variety of different issues and the involvement of police made people feel safe when residents knew landlords and property owners were committed to making the facility crime free. City officials say the Yakima Landlords Association was in agreement with the city in ending the program.

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YAKIMA PROGRAM PRAISED

When the program was started, landlords learned from police ways to improve safety by looking for signs of gang affiliation and screening potential renters.
When the program started in Yakima it was praised by state officials even getting a visit from the Washington State Attorney General. But over the years the program became too expensive to maintain and took city officials and Oficers away from other duties.

SUNNYSIDE ALSO EVICTED THE PROGRAM

But over the past five years the program has been a big expense for the city and other cities as well. While Yakima ended the program earlier this month the Sunnyside City Council voted Monday to cancel its program which the city says has been dormant since 2019.

SUNNYSIDE FACING LEGAL ACTION

The action in Sunnyside follows the filing of a lawsuit by then Attorney General (AG) Bob Ferguson’s Civil Rights Division saying the Sunnyside program evicted people without reason. Sunnyside city officials deny the allegations.
Yakima city officials know more cuts in programs in services could happen later this year if voters don't support a tax levy on the November ballot that will help fill a $9 million shortfall in the 2026 city budget.