Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Local Government Committee
HB 1952
Brief Description: Concerning the location of housing and associated services that provide aid and assistance to homeless individuals and families.
Sponsors: Representative Caldier.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Allows counties planning under the Growth Management Act to establish a process for reviewing proposals to authorize housing and associated services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness when certain requirements are met.
Hearing Date: 2/1/22
Staff: Elizabeth Allison (786-7129).
Background:

The Growth Management Act (GMA) is the State of Washington's comprehensive land use planning framework for counties and cities.  The GMA establishes land use designation and environmental protection requirements for all Washington counties and cities, and a significantly wider array of planning duties for counties and the cities within that are obligated by population-based criteria or choice to satisfy all planning requirements of the GMA.  Participating counties are required to designate urban growth areas (UGA) within their boundaries sufficient to accommodate a 20-year population projection range.  Each city located within a planning county must be included within a UGA. Urban growth must be encouraged within UGAs, and only growth that is not urban in nature can occur outside of UGAs.  Each UGA must permit urban densities and include greenbelt and open space areas. 

 

A homeless housing plan is a five-year plan developed by a county or other local government to address housing for homeless persons.  County local homeless housing task forces must develop and recommend to their local government legislative authority five-year homeless housing plans for their jurisdictional area.  The plan must be consistent with the local plan guidelines issued by the Department of Commerce.

 

The Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act (MHLTA) governs the legal rights, remedies, and obligations arising from any rental agreement between a landlord and a tenant regarding a lot within a mobile home park or manufactured housing community where the tenant has no ownership interest in the property or in the association which owns the property.
Summary of Bill:

A county planning under the GMA may establish a process for reviewing proposals to authorize housing and associated services that provide aid and assistance to individuals and families experiencing homelessness outside of an UGA if:

  • the proposal is located within one mile of the UGA;
  • the county has determined that a shortage of land available to house and provide services to people experiencing homelessness exists within the UGA; and
  • the county has identified the need for additional land within a homeless housing plan.

 

Proposals must make reasonable accommodation for utility hookups to provide water, power, and sewerage services and comply with the provisions in the MHLTA.  Sewerage services may not be extended beyond UGA boundaries.  Such proposals are exempt from maximum density restrictions.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Preliminary fiscal note available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.