Report from the 2009 Washington State Legislature

 

Compiled from Washington State Coalition for the Homeless sources by Pat Brown

BUDGET ALLOCATIONS

ESAP (Emergency Shelter Assistance Program): $10 million

THOR (Transitional Housing, Operating, and Rent): $8.5 million (includes the expansion!)

Independent Youth Housing Program: $1.8 million

Housing Trust Fund: $100 million - $18.5 million in set-asides, down from $200 million last yr

Re-entry Housing Pilot Program: Eliminated

BILLS PASSED

HB 2331: New $20 document recording fee. Projected fee collection: $26.4 million annually ($105.6 million over the next 4 years). Funds ESAP, THOR, Independent Youth Housing, Street Youth, and Crisis Residential Centers (CRCs). $15.5 million annually will help implement local government plans to end homelessness, $10.3 million annually will be used to keep whole the various homelessness line items, and $528,000 the auditors keep for administrative costs. Fee collection exempts birth/death certificates (which were already exempt). Legislation sunsets in 4 years which is the predicted length of the recession.

HB 1492: Independent youth housing program. 

HB 1227: Allows RVs to be used as primary residences in manufactured/mobile home communities.

SHB 1663: Grants relocation assistance rights for motel occupants.

SB 5433: Modifies provisions of local option taxes. (Mental health services supplantation bill.) 

SB 5525: Authorizes 90-day rental vouchers to facilitate release from state institutions.

SSB 5665: Authorizes joint self-insurance program for 2 or more affordable housing entities or nonprofits.

SB 6155: GAU cash grant reduced by $18 million. Savings to GAU medical of $38 million by switching to managed care. Entitlement and $339 grant amount intact. 

SB 1663: Relocation assistance rights for motel occupants

SHB 1201: Changes Dangerously Mentally Ill Offender Program to Community Integration Program

BILLS FAILED

HB 1250: CTED administrative funding for the Housing Trust Fund. Died in Senate Rules. 

SSB 5219: Focus group to examine the need to provide housing for certain populations at risk of being homeless. Died in House Rules, but legislation is not necessary to make this happen. 

Bill detail and fiscal notes: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/ 

NEXT STEPS

We are at the halfway mark of the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.

The plan calls for reducing homelessness by 50% by 2014.

We need to

Identify a new source of revenue other than document recording fees to help achieve this goal.

Focus on prevention and Housing First models.

Raise the visibility of homeless issues and efforts to end homelessness to legislators and policymakers.

Comment on agency placement of homeless programs when CTED reorganizes as Dept of Commerce.

Call Sen. Carrell if interested in participating on Housing and Homeless Focus Group.