PERMANENT RULES
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: In 2001, several changes to the WAC were proposed by the homeless families advisory committee and approved by the department of commerce, trade and economic development (now commerce). The permanent rule that was filed with the CR-103 in WSR 02-05-012 included inadvertent errors, resulting in the following language: "(2) Operating subsidies shall not exceed thirty percent of the project's core operating budget for the year. (3) Rents shall not exceed fifty percent of the income of the targeted population." The transcript from the hearing held on January 8, 2002, confirms that the intent was to limit operating subsidies to not exceed fifty percent of the project's core operating budget, and to limit rents to not exceed thirty percent of the income of the targeted population. Changing this rule will correct that mistake. The other changes to this rule are being made to comply with statutory changes to RCW 43.185C.210 and to bring the statutory authority up to date.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 365-120-010, 365-120-130, 365-120-080, and 365-120-090.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 43.185C.210(6).
Other Authority: RCW 43.63A.650.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 09-22-066 on November 2, 2009.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 3, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: January 5, 2010.
Rogers Weed
Director
OTS-2733.3
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 00-05-020, filed 2/8/00,
effective 3/10/00)
WAC 365-120-010
Authority.
These rules are adopted
under the authority of RCW ((43.63A.060)) 43.185C.210(6),
which provides that the ((director shall make such rules and
regulations and do all other things necessary and proper to
carry out the purposes of chapter 43.63A RCW. RCW 43.63A.065(2) provides that among its functions and
responsibilities the department shall administer state and
federal grants and programs which are assigned to the
department by the governor or the legislature)) department may
develop rules, requirements, procedures, and guidelines as
necessary to implement and operate the transitional housing
operating and rent program. RCW 43.63A.650 provides that the
department shall be the principal state department responsible
for providing shelter and housing services to homeless
families with children.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 43.63A RCW, RCW [43.]63A.650, and 1999 c 267. 00-05-020, § 365-120-010, filed 2/8/00, effective 3/10/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.63A.060. 87-19-112 (Order 87-12), § 365-120-010, filed 9/18/87; 86-03-008 (Order 85-19), § 365-120-010, filed 1/6/86.]
(2) "Congregate care facility" means a licensed boarding home or a licensed private establishment which has entered into a congregate care contract with the department of social and health services.
(3) "Contractor" means an applicant who has been awarded state funds under the emergency shelter or transitional housing, operating and rent program and which has entered into a contract with the department to provide emergency shelter or transitional housing services.
(4) "Crisis residential center" means an agency operated under contract with the department of social and health services to provide temporary protective care to children in a semi-secure residential facility in the performance of duties specified and in a manner provided in RCW 13.32A.010 through 13.32A.200 and 74.13.032 through 74.13.036.
(5) "Current or continuous provider" means an agency or organization that currently provides or has provided emergency shelter assistance for some period during the most recent fiscal year.
(6) "Department" means the department of ((community,
trade, and economic development)) commerce.
(7) "Detoxification center" means a public or private agency or program of an agency that is operated for the purpose of providing residential detoxification services for those suffering from acute alcoholism.
(8) "Director" means the director of the department of
((community, trade, and economic development)) commerce.
(9) "Emergency shelter assistance program" means the
statewide administrative activities carried out within the
department of ((community, trade, and economic development))
commerce to allocate, award, and monitor state funds
appropriated to assist local emergency shelter and
homelessness prevention programs.
(10) "Emergency shelter program" means a program within a local agency or organization that provides emergency shelter assistance.
(11) "Families with children" means pregnant women or one or more adults with dependent children under eighteen, including pregnant and parenting teens.
(12) "Group care facility" means an agency maintained and operated for the care of a group of children on a twenty-four-hour basis.
(13) "Homeless" means persons, including families, who, on one particular day or night, do not have a decent and safe shelter or sufficient funds to purchase a place to stay.
(14) "Homelessness prevention" means the following activities or programs designed to prevent the incidence of homelessness:
(a) Subsidies to help defray rent or mortgage arrearages for individuals or families faced with eviction or foreclosure.
(b) Security and damage deposits to enable a homeless individual or family to move into their own housing.
(c) Initial rent costs to enable a homeless individual or family to move into his or her own housing.
(d) Case management to assist individuals and families to remain in their housing or to look for permanent housing.
(e) Landlord-tenant mediation, conciliation or other forms of dispute resolution or negotiation which will keep people in housing or help people with housing barriers to obtain a lease.
(15) "Housing stability plan" means a set of goals and course of action set by the assisted family or individual and housing support staff, to aid the family or individual in transitioning to stable housing and the highest attainable level of self-sufficiency.
(16) "Participating agency" means a local public or private nonprofit organization, which enters into a subcontract with a lead agency contractor to provide emergency shelter assistance.
(17) "Religious service" means any sectarian or nondenominational service, rite, or meeting that involves worship of a higher being.
(18) "Rental assistance" means no less than ninety-one days and no more than twenty-four months of assistance to help homeless families with children and other populations described in RCW 43.185C.210(1) pay the cost of rent and utilities for amounts that are consistent with local practices.
(19) "Safe home" means a private home where short-term emergency shelter is provided primarily to victims of domestic violence.
(20) "Short-term" means one to ninety days.
(21) "Transitional housing" means housing provided for no less than ninety-one days and no more than twenty-four months.
(22) "Transitional housing, operating and rent program" or "transitional housing program" means the statewide administrative activities carried out within the department to allocate, award and monitor state funds appropriated to local communities to provide operating assistance for transitional housing units and partial rental assistance to homeless families with children and other populations described in RCW 43.185C.210(1).
(23) "Voucher system" means a method of purchasing emergency shelter assistance by the night using a notification coupon.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 43.63A RCW, RCW [43.]63A.650, and 1999 c 267. 00-05-020, § 365-120-030, filed 2/8/00, effective 3/10/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.63A.060. 87-19-112 (Order 87-12), § 365-120-030, filed 9/18/87; 86-20-011 (Order 86-15), § 365-120-030, filed 9/22/86; 86-03-008 (Order 85-19), § 365-120-030, filed 1/6/86.]
(2) Operating subsidies shall not exceed ((thirty)) fifty
percent of the project's core operating budget for the year.
(3) Rents shall not exceed ((fifty)) thirty percent of
the income of the targeted population.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 43.63A RCW, RCW 43.63A.650, 1999 c 267. 02-05-012, § 365-120-080, filed 2/8/02, effective 3/11/02; 00-05-020, § 365-120-080, filed 2/8/00, effective 3/10/00.]
(2) Assistance must be provided for no less than ninety-one days and no more than twenty-four months to help pay the cost of rent and utilities.
(3) Households must sign a written agreement to participate in a housing stability plan.
(4) Rent subsidies must be appropriate to ((individual
family)) the incomes of the families or individuals.
(5) Local program administrators must have written program policies and procedures describing tenant selection, assistance denial or termination, housing safety standards, and a minimum tenant rent payment.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 43.63A RCW, RCW [43.]63A.650, and 1999 c 267. 00-05-020, § 365-120-090, filed 2/8/00, effective 3/10/00.]