Landlord defies UW, still houses sex offenders

12-15-2007 Washington:

Despite the opposition of Gov. Christine Gregoire and the University of Washington, the doors of Carol Clarke's University District rental properties remain open to convicted sex offenders.

Earlier this year, the UW persuaded Gregoire to order the state Department of Corrections (DOC) to remove convicted sex offenders on probation from Clarke's five rental houses in the densely populated neighborhood north of the campus. DOC had to find new housing for 10 of the 13 convicted offenders who lived in Clark's homes.

DOC still won't allow convicted sex offenders under its community-supervision program, or on probation, to live in Clarke's homes. But that hasn't stopped her from accepting convicted sex offenders who are no longer on probation and thus have no restrictions on where they live.

Clarke is adamant that convicted sex offenders deserve a place to live and said most offenders have been model tenants in the seven years she has rented to them.

She said Gregoire and UW "don't own the property. They act like they do."

"I know how hard these [convicted sex offenders] have fought to become better people. They're trying to do it right."

In the months since UW President Mark Emmert brought his concerns about Clarke's tenants to Gregoire, the 69-year-old landlord has allowed two new convicted sex offenders to move in and is accepting rental agreements from others who are off probation.

Eric Godfrey, UW's vice provost for student life, said the university is still concerned about the high concentration of sex offenders in the area, where some 6,000 students live. Godfrey said he wasn't aware Clark was accepting offenders who are off probation as tenants but admits there is nothing the school can do if they aren't on probation.

"This is the first I have heard of it. We have to have a conversation with DOC," Godfrey said.

Three sex offenders on probation still rent from Clarke, because the DOC couldn't find adequate housing for two of them and the third comes off supervision in the next few weeks, corrections officials said. One of the three is a Level 3 offender, considered to be the state's most dangerous and most likely to reoffend.

Once sex offenders complete probation, they are no longer required to abide by the rules set forth by the DOC but must register their addresses with local law enforcement.

Community-corrections officers, local law enforcement, mental-health-treatment providers and an aide from Metropolitan King County Councilman Larry Gossett's office have spoken to Gregoire's staff to try to get her to change her mind about letting offenders on probation live under Clarke's roofs. But a spokesman for Gregoire's office said the governor's decision stands.

"I thought there was no objective foundation for Dr. Emmert to call the governor to say 'get these folks out of our neighborhood,' " Gossett said Friday. "There are more men who are in the Greek fraternities in this same neighborhood who have been accused of sexual harassment, or alleged date rape, and they're not being put out of their houses."

State Sen. Debbie Regala, D-Tacoma, recently met with university officials to express her disapproval over what she considers a "knee-jerk" reaction. Regala thinks Clarke is a good landlord who "is doing the right think in providing stable housing for sex offenders."

"It is important to recognize that not every sex offender is a predator," she said.

Regala said she suggested to the university that it better educate students about the dangers of being assaulted not by convicted offenders on probation, but by friends and acquaintances.

Seattle police Lt. Clay Monson said he's aware of the UW's demands that all sex offenders be forced from the area, but the department "is not going to do anything special or different" because of it.

Of the 54 residents Clarke has living in her University District homes, 10 are convicted sex offenders. That includes five no longer on probation who have been Clarke's tenants since before Gregoire and the DOC got involved.

Clarke said she carefully reviews each offender's criminal history, mostly renting to pedophiles instead of offenders with a history of crimes against young men or women. The Snohomish woman said she checks references and even talks to the DOC before granting offenders permission to live in her homes.

Corrections officials say they have never heard of a resident in Clarke's University District homes committing a crime against a UW student.

Clarke's house rules are simple: no parties, no drugs, no drunkenness, and tenants must have a job. She encourages offenders — who pay up to $395 for a room and utilities — to go to church.

"These people are so grateful. They will jump all kinds of hoops to stay there," Clarke said. "They are just so good. If I tell them not to stand on the porch and stare at girls, they'll come into the house." ..more.. by Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com