Members of communities once prohibited from buying homes under racist homeowner agreements, will soon get state homebuying assistance. The law signed last week by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee establishes a new $100 processing fee for homebuyers. The funds raised will help some first-time homebuyers cover down payments and closing costs. ”This implements one of many solutions to right a historic wrong,” Inslee said moments before signing House Bill 1474. For decades in the 1900s developers were allowed to restrict neighborhoods to only white residents. Tens of thousands of racially restrictive covenants contained phrasing like, “No person other than one of the white or Caucasian race shall be permitted to occupy any property.” University of Washington History Professor James Gregory heads up a research project on the covenants. He estimates researchers at the UW and Eastern Washington University have identified more than 50,000 covenants across the state covering hundreds of neighborhoods. Read the full story here: https://www.king5.com/article/news/community/facing-race/fee-loans-historic-wrong-racist-covenants-seattle/281-f16a39cb-a63e-4a68-923c-cf2a50ed3297