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SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 932
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AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
C 264 L 88
State of Washington 50th Legislature 1987 Regular Session
By House Committee on Housing (originally sponsored by Representatives Nutley, Padden, Leonard, Ebersole, Sanders, J. Williams, Lewis, Doty, Nealey, L. Smith, Brough, Winsley, Wineberry, Silver, Ballard, Betrozoff, Taylor, Miller and D. Sommers)
Read first time 3/6/87 and passed to Committee on Rules.
AN ACT Relating to rental payments to landlords from public assistance; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) Persons receiving public assistance, particularly families, frequently have great difficulty obtaining adequate housing. The department of social and health services is directed to conduct a pilot program designed to show whether the supply of housing for persons on public assistance would increase if the department made rental payments directly to landlords.
(2) The department shall solicit not fewer than three nor more than seven local governing bodies for participation in the pilot program. In implementing this program the department shall:
(a) Provide a written statement notifying the recipient of public assistance that the landlord may not legally require direct payment from the department;
(b) Upon written request of the recipient pay to the recipient's landlord as defined in RCW 59.18.030, through the local governing body, that portion that equals ninety percent of the monthly public assistance grant which is allocated for rent in the department's payment standard under RCW 74.04.770 or ninety percent of the rent, whichever is less. No direct payment shall be made for rent of premises with respect to which the landlord is not in compliance with RCW 59.18.060;
(c) Promptly terminate such payments to the landlord upon the recipient's written request, provided that the recipient gives written notice of termination of direct payments to the landlord and the local governing body;
(d) Enter into an agreement with the local governing bodies selected to participate in the pilot program for the direct payment of rent to landlords.
(3) The local governing bodies selected to participate in the pilot program shall:
(a) Administer the pilot program using existing housing assistance providers, where appropriate;
(b) Charge the landlord a monthly fee of two dollars to cover the cost of administering each direct payment made under this section, which fee shall not be charged to the tenant;
(c) Charge the landlord a fee, up to fifty dollars, to cover the cost of inspecting and certifying that the housing unit is in compliance with the housing quality standards used for the United States department of housing and urban development, section eight existing housing program.
(4) The landlords participating in the pilot program shall mail to the secretary and the local governing body, by certified mail, a copy of any notice served upon the tenant under RCW 59.12.030 or 59.18.200 which terminates the tenancy. The notice, when mailed to the secretary and the local governing body, shall constitute the landlord's request that the secretary and local governing body cease making direct payments of rent to the landlord.
(5) No recipient of public assistance shall be liable to the department of social and health services for any amount incorrectly paid to a landlord under this section. The department shall recover such overpayment from the landlord under RCW 74.04.700.
(6) The department of social and health services shall adopt rules under chapter 34.04 RCW regarding the pilot program.
(7) The secretary may include in the department's annual report to the governor and the legislature a summary of the progress and status of the pilot program. The summary shall include but need not be limited to the results of the individual projects selected, the number of persons served, and recommendations for improving the program.
(8) The secretary shall immediately take such steps as are necessary to ensure that this section is implemented on its effective date. This section shall take effect July 1, 1988.
(9) This section shall terminate June 30, 1991, unless extended by law for an additional fixed period of time.