RCW 43.185C.045 Homeless housing strategic plan—Annual report of department and local governments.

(1) By December 1st of each year, the department must provide an update on the state's homeless housing strategic plan and its activities for the prior fiscal year. The report must include, but not be limited to, the following information:

(a) An assessment of the current condition of homelessness in Washington state and the state's performance in meeting the goals in the state homeless housing strategic plan;

(b) A report on the results of the annual homeless point-in-time census conducted statewide under RCW 43.185C.030;

(c) The amount of federal, state, local, and private funds spent on homelessness assistance, categorized by funding source and the following major assistance types:

(i) Emergency shelter;

(ii) Homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing;

(iii) Permanent housing;

(iv) Permanent supportive housing;

(v) Transitional housing;

(vi) Services only; and

(vii) Any other activity in which more than five hundred thousand dollars of category funds were expended;

(d) A report on the expenditures, performance, and outcomes of state funds distributed through the consolidated homeless grant program, including the grant recipient, award amount expended, use of the funds, counties served, and households served;

(e) A report on state and local homelessness document recording fee expenditure by county, including the total amount of fee spending, percentage of total spending from fees, number of people served by major assistance type, and amount of expenditures for private rental housing payments required in RCW 36.22.179;

(f) A report on the expenditures, performance, and outcomes of the essential needs and housing support program meeting the requirements of RCW 43.185C.220; and

(g) A report on the expenditures, performance, and outcomes of the independent youth housing program meeting the requirements of RCW 43.63A.311.

(2) The report required in subsection (1) of this section must be posted to the department's web site and may include links to updated or revised information contained in the report.

(3) Any local government receiving state funds for homelessness assistance or state or local homelessness document recording fees under RCW 36.22.178, 36.22.179, or 36.22.1791 must provide an annual report on the current condition of homelessness in its jurisdiction, its performance in meeting the goals in its local homeless housing plan, and any significant changes made to the plan. The annual report must be posted on the department's web site. Along with each local government annual report, the department must produce and post information on the local government's homelessness spending from all sources by project during the prior state fiscal year in a format similar to the department's report under subsection (1)(c) of this section. If a local government fails to report or provides an inadequate or incomplete report, the department must take corrective action, which may include withholding state funding for homelessness assistance to the local government to enable the department to use such funds to contract with other public or nonprofit entities to provide homelessness assistance within the jurisdiction.

[ 2018 c 85 § 9.]

NOTES:

Intent—2018 c 85: "The legislature recognizes that all of the people of the state should have the opportunity to live in a safe, healthy, and affordable home. The legislature further recognizes that homelessness in Washington is unacceptable and that action needs to be taken to protect vulnerable households including families with children, youth and young adults, veterans, seniors, and people at high risk of homelessness, including survivors of domestic violence and people living with mental illness and other disabilities.

The legislature recognizes that homelessness has immediate and often times long-term consequences on the educational achievement of public school children and disproportionately impacts students of color. Additionally, the legislature recognizes that the health and safety of people experiencing homelessness is immediately and oftentimes significantly compromised, and that homelessness exacerbates physical and behavioral health disabilities. The legislature further recognizes that homelessness is disproportionately experienced by people of color and LGBTQ youth and young adults. The legislature recognizes that homelessness is also disproportionately experienced by people living with mental illness and that homelessness is an impediment to treatment. The legislature further recognizes that homelessness is disproportionately experienced by Native Americans.

In 2005, the Washington state legislature passed the homeless housing and assistance act that outlined several bold policies to address homelessness. That act also required a strategic plan by the department of commerce, which was first submitted in 2006 and subsequently updated. Since the first statewide plan, the state has succeeded in housing over five hundred fifty-six thousand people experiencing homelessness. These people were previously living in places not meant for human habitation, living in emergency shelters, or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Although the overall prevalence of homelessness is down more than seventeen percent, the recent increase in homelessness, due in large part to surging housing costs, remains a crisis and more must be done.

Therefore, the legislature intends to improve resources available to aid with increasing access and removing barriers to housing for individuals and families in Washington." [ 2018 c 85 § 1.]

Short title—2018 c 85: "This act may be known and cited as the Washington housing opportunities act." [ 2018 c 85 § 11.]