BILL REQ. #:  H-4793.1 

     AN ACT Relating to local unsheltered homeless housing plans; amending RCW 43.185C.010; adding a new section to chapter 43.185C RCW; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that despite the creation and implementation of state and local homeless housing and assistance plans with the goal of reducing and ending homelessness, as required by the homeless housing and assistance act, the annual Washington homeless census continues to report unacceptable numbers of unsheltered homeless individuals living on the streets in our communities. Unsheltered homeless individuals experience great risk to their personal health and safety and are vulnerable to substantial harm and even death.
     (2) Although the legislature recognizes the critical need to find and execute long-term permanent housing solutions for homeless individuals, the legislature also recognizes the eminent need to provide for the immediate shelter of all unsheltered homeless individuals living on the streets.
     (3) It is the intent of the legislature to reaffirm the goals of the homeless housing and assistance act to reduce homelessness by fifty percent by July 1, 2015, and also to establish a new goal of providing a minimum of immediate, short-term shelter for one hundred percent of unsheltered homeless individuals, as reported by the Washington homeless census.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.185C RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Each local homeless housing task force must present an unsheltered homeless housing plan to its local government's legislative authority and to the department within ninety days of the effective date of this act, and must present an updated plan annually thereafter on a schedule to be determined by the department.
     (2) The unsheltered homeless housing plan must consist of:
     (a) Recommended strategies and a recommended detailed action plan to accomplish the goal of shelter for one hundred percent of unsheltered homeless individuals;
     (b) Estimated costs for execution of the plan and achievement of the plan's goal; and
     (c) Recommended interim assistance strategies, such as the provision of interim survival mechanisms and other assistance to be provided to unsheltered homeless individuals until they can be adequately sheltered.
     (3) Until and unless the Washington homeless census reports that the number of unsheltered homeless individuals within the jurisdiction of a local government is equal to or less than ten percent of the number of unsheltered homeless individuals reported in the 2008 Washington homeless census, the priority for projects to be funded from the local government's share of the surcharges in RCW 36.22.179 and 36.22.1791 must be given to projects and programs that are intended to directly accomplish the unsheltered homeless housing goal and are representative of recommended strategies outlined in the local unsheltered homeless housing plan.
     (4) The department shall include a summary of local jurisdiction unsheltered homeless housing plans and reports of plan accomplishments in its annually updated state homeless housing strategic plan as described under RCW 43.185C.040.

Sec. 3   RCW 43.185C.010 and 2007 c 427 s 3 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, 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) "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, RCW 36.22.1791, 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)) home security fund 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 database 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.
     (19) "Unsheltered homeless individual" means an individual living outside or in a building not intended for human habitation or in which the individual has no legal right to occupy.
     (20) "Unsheltered homeless housing plan" means a local plan to house all unsheltered homeless individuals as described in section 2 of this act.
     (21) "Shelter" means any housing that a person has a legal right or has received permission to occupy and may include short-term, emergency, interim, or temporary housing.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   The code reviser shall alphabetize and renumber the definitions in RCW 43.185C.010.