Legislation aims to address food insecurity and reduce barriers to acquiring needed medications
Seattle—Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the submission of legislation to the Seattle City Council that will prohibit the use of restrictive or negative covenants preventing a property from being used as a grocery store or pharmacy. Restrictive covenants are a common industry practice that blocks efforts to bring new grocery stores and pharmacies into existing spaces that could easily accommodate them, thereby reducing access to food and medication.
“My proposed budget increases the City’s food investments by 20%, however, affordable food and medicine are inaccessible for too many Seattleites. When a company closes a grocery store or pharmacy, they can add a restrictive covenant into a property’s deed or lease that blocks a new grocery or pharmacy from locating at the same place,” said Mayor Harrell. “They do this to block competitors, and these actions harm neighborhoods and contribute to grocery and pharmacy deserts. Our legislation will make these restrictive covenants illegal in Seattle.”
Due to industry consolidation, store closures, and these restrictive land use covenants, more communities nationwide are at risk of becoming food or pharmacy “deserts” without convenient access to fresh, affordable, nutritious, culturally relevant food and essential medicine. At least two covenants restricting a property’s future use as a grocery store have been recorded on properties in Seattle. These covenants limited the square footage of any future grocery store at that location for as long as 50 years.
With the Fred Meyer grocery store in Lake City closing in late October and the possibility of additional restrictive covenants being implemented in Seattle, the Mayor and City Council President Sara Nelson agree this legislation should include an emergency clause, so it takes effect immediately upon the Mayor’s signature.
“Everyone deserves convenient access to grocery stores and pharmacies,” said Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9). “This emergency legislation will help prevent the spread of ‘food deserts’ throughout Seattle by eliminating future inequitable restrictions that prevent grocery stores and pharmacies from moving into older properties.”
Early this month, the Mayor announced nearly $12 million in investments in his 2026 proposed budget to increase food access. Acknowledging that groceries and pharmacies operate with razor-thin margins and are vital for healthy and thriving communities, the Mayor has proposed that the Washington legislature exempt groceries and pharmacies from the state’s Business & Occupation (B&O) tax. The Mayor has also included $1 million in his proposed 2026 budget to address retail theft, property damage, and other crimes at grocery stores through the Seattle Office of Economic Development.
The City’s Comprehensive Plan and Food Action Plan include goals that establish convenient access to food and medicine as essential public policy.
Council President Nelson plans to schedule Council consideration of the proposed legislation later this month.
What People Are Saying
Dr. Yona Sipos, Associate Teaching Professor, Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Program, School of Public Health, University of Washington
“Restrictive covenants are yet another barrier to food and health access for Seattle’s communities. These anticompetitive practices limit grocery and pharmacy options, especially in neighborhoods that are already under-resourced. The City’s recently updated Food Action Plan lays out initiatives that support affordability, cultural relevance, and education in support of community food security. With this proposed new legislation to eliminate restrictive land use covenants, the City is taking another important step toward creating healthier, more equitable neighborhoods. In addition to strengthening our local food system, this smart, community-minded food policy reform may also inspire cities across the country.”
Louren Reed, Food Access Director, North Helpline
“Big grocery chains sometimes use restrictive covenants to block other stores from opening in areas they’ve left. This practice hits communities of color especially hard. Not only do these neighborhoods lose access to healthy food, but the covenants also make it harder for new businesses to come in and fix the problem—keeping the area a food desert for even longer.”
Stacy Mitchell, Co-Executive Director, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
“This ordinance is a vital step to safeguard Seattle neighborhoods from the anticompetitive tactics of dominant grocery and pharmacy chains. Too often, these companies close a store and then block any competitor from moving in. The closures we’re seeing in Seattle are part of a national pattern: as a few chains have consolidated control, they’ve used their power to drive up grocery prices, push out independent grocers, and then reduce their own locations. This measure marks important progress toward restoring competition and ensuring community access to essential services.”
César García, Co-Director, Lake City Collective
“The closing of big grocery stores impacts everyone, but especially low-income families who depend on them for access to affordable food and pharmacies. In two weeks, Lake City will be a food and medicine desert. This ordinance would preemptively address practices that could have a more significant impact on our community for generations to come. Today, it’s our seniors, our people with disabilities, our families; tomorrow, it’s the store near you. Let’s ask ourselves if the current food distribution system is what our people and future generations deserve.”
Chris Leverson, Project Manager, Build Lake City Together
“Given recent closures that are devastating to our Lake City neighborhood, the proposal to remove these restrictive land use covenants is critical. New grocery stores and pharmacies should not be blocked from using existing spaces that sit empty. This proposal is a strong move toward relieving some of the inequities in our underserved communities.”
Bridget Igoe, Strategic Advisor — Food Policy & Programs, Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment
“Seattle families and individuals deserve fair access to groceries and pharmacies in every neighborhood. Restrictive covenants that keep closing stores from being re-opened by new operators put anticompetitive corporate interests ahead of community needs. By prohibiting these unfair land-use restrictions, we are ensuring that vital food and medicine providers can return to closing or vacant sites, strengthening food access, public health, competition, and community resilience in our city.”
Don Blakeney, Executive Director, University District Partnership
“The University District has lost too many essential businesses in recent years and today we don’t even have a single pharmacy. Residents deserve easy access to medicine, groceries, and other basics. By lifting outdated restrictive covenants, we can clear needless barriers and welcome new pharmacies and grocery stores back into our community.”
Mike Stewart, Executive Director, Ballard Alliance
“As Ballard continues to grow, access to groceries and pharmacies close to where people live is more important than ever. Restrictive covenants only hold our community back. This proposal will help ensure that Ballard remains a place where residents can access the daily essentials they rely on.”
Ilona Lohrey, President & CEO, GSBA
“GSBA is thrilled that Seattle has taken steps to eliminate restrictive covenants, an outdated provision from the redlining days that serves only to monopolize local markets. When these covenants are in place and a grocery store closes down, the local area is often left with a large, unusable space. These vacancies, which often occur in Seattle’s poorest neighborhoods, contribute to neighborhood blight, limit the growth of small businesses and retail centers, and create food deserts. If passed, this legislation would bring local communities more freedom to build the retail infrastructure they need for success.”