E2SHB 1359 -
By Senators Weinstein, Fraser
ADOPTED 04/20/2007
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"Sec. 1 RCW 36.22.178 and 2005 c 484 s 18 are each amended to
read as follows:
The surcharge provided for in this section shall be named the
affordable housing for all surcharge.
(1) Except as provided in subsection (((2))) (3) of this section,
a surcharge of ten dollars per instrument shall be charged by the
county auditor for each document recorded, which will be in addition to
any other charge authorized by law. The county may retain up to five
percent of these funds collected solely for the collection,
administration, and local distribution of these funds. Of the
remaining funds, forty percent of the revenue generated through this
surcharge will be transmitted monthly to the state treasurer who will
deposit the funds into the ((Washington housing trust account))
affordable housing for all account created in section 2 of this act.
((The office of community development of the department of community,
trade, and economic development will develop guidelines for the use of
these funds to support)) The department of community, trade, and
economic development must use these funds to provide housing and
shelter for extremely low-income households, including but not limited
to grants for building operation and maintenance costs of housing
projects or units within housing projects that are affordable to
extremely low-income ((persons)) households with incomes at or below
thirty percent of the area median income, and that require a supplement
to rent income to cover ongoing operating expenses.
(2) All of the remaining funds generated by this surcharge will be
retained by the county and be deposited into a fund that must be used
by the county and its cities and towns for eligible housing ((projects
or units within housing projects that are affordable to)) activities as
described in this subsection that serve very low-income ((persons))
households with incomes at or below fifty percent of the area median
income. The portion of the surcharge retained by a county shall be
allocated to eligible housing activities that serve extremely low and
very low-income ((housing projects or units within such housing
projects)) households in the county and the cities within a county
according to an interlocal agreement between the county and the cities
within the county consistent with countywide and local housing needs
and policies. ((The funds generated with this surcharge shall not be
used for construction of new housing if at any time the vacancy rate
for available low-income housing within the county rises above ten
percent. The vacancy rate for each county shall be developed using the
state low-income vacancy rate standard developed under subsection (3)
of this section. Uses of)) A priority must be given to eligible
housing activities that serve extremely low-income households with
incomes at or below thirty percent of the area median income. Eligible
housing activities to be funded by these ((local)) county funds are
limited to:
(a) Acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of housing
projects or units within housing projects that are affordable to very
low-income ((persons)) households with incomes at or below fifty
percent of the area median income, including units for homeownership,
rental units, seasonal and permanent farm worker housing units, and
single room occupancy units;
(b) Supporting building operation and maintenance costs of housing
projects or units within housing projects eligible to receive housing
trust funds, that are affordable to very low-income ((persons))
households with incomes at or below fifty percent of the area median
income, and that require a supplement to rent income to cover ongoing
operating expenses;
(c) Rental assistance vouchers for housing ((projects or)) units
((within housing projects)) that are affordable to very low-income
((persons)) households with incomes at or below fifty percent of the
area median income, to be administered by a local public housing
authority or other local organization that has an existing rental
assistance voucher program, consistent with or similar to the United
States department of housing and urban development's section 8 rental
assistance voucher program standards; and
(d) Operating costs for emergency shelters and licensed overnight
youth shelters.
(((2))) (3) The surcharge imposed in this section does not apply to
assignments or substitutions of previously recorded deeds of trust.
(((3) The real estate research center at Washington State
University shall develop a vacancy rate standard for low-income housing
in the state as described in RCW 18.85.540(1)(i))).
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 43.185C
RCW to read as follows:
The affordable housing for all account is created in the state
treasury, subject to appropriation. The state's portion of the
surcharges established in RCW 36.22.178 shall be deposited in the
account. Expenditures from the account may only be used for affordable
housing programs.
Sec. 3 RCW 43.185C.010 and 2006 c 349 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Department" means the department of community, trade, and
economic development.
(2) "Director" means the director of the department of community,
trade, and economic development.
(3) "Homeless person" means an individual living outside or in a
building not meant for human habitation or which they have no legal
right to occupy, in an emergency shelter, or in a temporary housing
program which may include a transitional and supportive housing program
if habitation time limits exist. This definition includes substance
abusers, ((mentally ill)) people with mental illness, and sex offenders
who are homeless.
(4) "Washington homeless census" means an annual statewide census
conducted as a collaborative effort by towns, cities, counties,
community-based organizations, and state agencies, with the technical
support and coordination of the department, to count and collect data
on all homeless individuals in Washington.
(5) "((Homeless housing)) Home security fund account" means the
state treasury account receiving the state's portion of income from
revenue from the sources established by RCW 36.22.179, section 5 of
this act, and all other sources directed to the homeless housing and
assistance program.
(6) "Homeless housing grant program" means the vehicle by which
competitive grants are awarded by the department, utilizing moneys from
the homeless housing account, to local governments for programs
directly related to housing homeless individuals and families,
addressing the root causes of homelessness, preventing homelessness,
collecting data on homeless individuals, and other efforts directly
related to housing homeless persons.
(7) "Local government" means a county government in the state of
Washington or a city government, if the legislative authority of the
city affirmatively elects to accept the responsibility for housing
homeless persons within its borders.
(8) "Housing continuum" means the progression of individuals along
a housing-focused continuum with homelessness at one end and
homeownership at the other.
(9) "Local homeless housing task force" means a voluntary local
committee created to advise a local government on the creation of a
local homeless housing plan and participate in a local homeless housing
program. It must include a representative of the county, a
representative of the largest city located within the county, at least
one homeless or formerly homeless person, such other members as may be
required to maintain eligibility for federal funding related to housing
programs and services and if feasible, a representative of a private
nonprofit organization with experience in low-income housing.
(10) "Long-term private or public housing" means subsidized and
unsubsidized rental or owner-occupied housing in which there is no
established time limit for habitation of less than two years.
(11) "Interagency council on homelessness" means a committee
appointed by the governor and consisting of, at least, policy level
representatives of the following entities: (a) The department of
community, trade, and economic development; (b) the department of
corrections; (c) the department of social and health services; (d) the
department of veterans affairs; and (e) the department of health.
(12) "Performance measurement" means the process of comparing
specific measures of success against ultimate and interim goals.
(13) "Community action agency" means a nonprofit private or public
organization established under the economic opportunity act of 1964.
(14) "Housing authority" means any of the public corporations
created by chapter 35.82 RCW.
(15) "Homeless housing program" means the program authorized under
this chapter as administered by the department at the state level and
by the local government or its designated subcontractor at the local
level.
(16) "Homeless housing plan" means the ten-year plan developed by
the county or other local government to address housing for homeless
persons.
(17) "Homeless housing strategic plan" means the ten-year plan
developed by the department, in consultation with the interagency
council on homelessness and the affordable housing advisory board.
(18) "Washington homeless client management information system"
means a data base of information about homeless individuals in the
state used to coordinate resources to assist homeless clients to obtain
and retain housing and reach greater levels of self-sufficiency or
economic independence when appropriate, depending upon their individual
situations.
Sec. 4 RCW 36.22.179 and 2005 c 484 s 9 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) In addition to the surcharge authorized in RCW 36.22.178, and
except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, an additional
surcharge of ten dollars shall be charged by the county auditor for
each document recorded, which will be in addition to any other charge
allowed by law. The funds collected pursuant to this section are to be
distributed and used as follows:
(a) The auditor shall retain two percent for collection of the fee,
and of the remainder shall remit sixty percent to the county to be
deposited into a fund that must be used by the county and its cities
and towns to accomplish the purposes of this chapter ((484, Laws of
2005)), six percent of which may be used by the county for
administrative costs related to its homeless housing plan, and the
remainder for programs which directly accomplish the goals of the
county's local homeless housing plan, except that for each city in the
county which elects as authorized in RCW 43.185C.080 to operate its own
local homeless housing program, a percentage of the surcharge assessed
under this section equal to the percentage of the city's local portion
of the real estate excise tax collected by the county shall be
transmitted at least quarterly to the city treasurer, without any
deduction for county administrative costs, for use by the city for
program costs which directly contribute to the goals of the city's
local homeless housing plan; of the funds received by the city, it may
use six percent for administrative costs for its homeless housing
program.
(b) The auditor shall remit the remaining funds to the state
treasurer for deposit in the ((homeless housing)) home security fund
account. The department may use twelve and one-half percent of this
amount for administration of the program established in RCW
43.185C.020, including the costs of creating the statewide homeless
housing strategic plan, measuring performance, providing technical
assistance to local governments, and managing the homeless housing
grant program. The remaining eighty-seven and one-half percent is to
be ((distributed by the department to local governments through the
homeless housing grant program)) used by the department to:
(i) Provide housing and shelter for homeless people including, but
not limited to: Grants to operate, repair, and staff shelters; grants
to operate transitional housing; partial payments for rental
assistance; consolidated emergency assistance; overnight youth
shelters; and emergency shelter assistance; and
(ii) Fund the homeless housing grant program.
(2) The surcharge imposed in this section does not apply to
assignments or substitutions of previously recorded deeds of trust.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 A new section is added to chapter 43.185C
RCW to read as follows:
(1) In addition to the surcharges authorized in RCW 36.22.178 and
36.22.179, and except as provided in subsection (2) of this section,
the county auditor shall charge an additional surcharge of eight
dollars for each document recorded, which is in addition to any other
charge allowed by law. The funds collected under this section are to
be distributed and used as follows:
(a) The auditor shall remit ninety percent to the county to be
deposited into a fund six percent of which may be used by the county
for administrative costs related to its homeless housing plan, and the
remainder for programs that directly accomplish the goals of the
county's local homeless housing plan, except that for each city in the
county that elects, as authorized in RCW 43.185C.080, to operate its
own homeless housing program, a percentage of the surcharge assessed
under this section equal to the percentage of the city's local portion
of the real estate excise tax collected by the county must be
transmitted at least quarterly to the city treasurer for use by the
city for program costs that directly contribute to the goals of the
city's homeless housing plan.
(b) The auditor shall remit the remaining funds to the state
treasurer for deposit in the home security fund account. The
department may use the funds for administering the program established
in RCW 43.185C.020, including the costs of creating and updating the
statewide homeless housing strategic plan, measuring performance,
providing technical assistance to local governments, and managing the
homeless housing grant program. Remaining funds may also be used to:
(i) Provide housing and shelter for homeless people including, but
not limited to: Grants to operate, repair, and staff shelters; grants
to operate transitional housing; partial payments for rental
assistance; consolidated emergency assistance; overnight youth
shelters; and emergency shelter assistance; and
(ii) Fund the homeless housing grant program.
(2) The surcharge imposed in this section does not apply to
assignments or substitutions of previously recorded deeds of trust.
Sec. 6 RCW 43.185C.060 and 2005 c 484 s 10 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((homeless housing)) home security fund account is created in
the ((custody of the)) state ((treasurer)) treasury, subject to
appropriation. The state's portion of the surcharge established in RCW
36.22.179 and section 5 of this act must be deposited in the account.
Expenditures from the account may be used only for ((the)) homeless
housing programs as described in this chapter. ((Only the director or
the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the account.
The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW,
but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.))"
E2SHB 1359 -
By Senators Weinstein, Fraser
ADOPTED 04/20/2007
On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "all;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 36.22.178, 43.185C.010, 36.22.179, and 43.185C.060; and adding new sections to chapter 43.185C RCW."
EFFECT: 1. The affordable housing for all and home security fund
accounts are both subject to appropriation. The creation of the
Affordable Housing for All Program and all other changes are
eliminated.
2. Technical changes and corrections.