2016State Legislative Priorities
These priorities are in draft, awaiting discussion and approval by the All Home Coordinating Board. The Board may choose to finalize these priorities in October, or at its December meeting.
Revenue
Fund the Washington State Housing Trust Fund
Key partners: WLIHA, HDC
The intent is to maintain or increase state funding for building homeless and affordable housing. King County depends on state HTF to help fill the equity gap in every affordable and homeless housing investment we make. Increasing the HTF expands the imapct of King County housing funds resulting in more homeless and affordable housing units built. Historically, King County developments have received up to 40 percent of HTF funds. For every $10 million invested in the HTF, up to $4 million can be invested within King County. When partnered with King County and other public and private funds, it is estimated that such investment would help build up to 67 homes of homeless and affordable housing serving 100 residents each year for at least 40 years.
Preserve the Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) Program
Key partners: WLIHA,SKCCH
Preserve, improve and sustain HEN assistance. Hold harmless HEN assistance (funded at $59 million in previous budgets), the Aged, Blind and Disabled (ABD) cash grant program, and SSI Facilitation Services. Improve the program by removing the current restriction on chemical dependency as primary disability; increasing ABD cash grant and/or; allowing ABD recipients to retain their HEN benefit for an extended period of time.
Support new local financing options through Real Estate Excise Tax for Housing (REET)
Lead: City of Seattle OH, WLIHA, Futurewise
Provide new local financing options to supplement existing tools given the affordable housing crisis facing Washington State. Add a new chapter to RCW 82.46 that would allow a city (planning under the Growth Management Act), via council action, to impose an additional Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) specifically for affordable housing. The additional .25% REET capacity, above and beyond the existing State cap, will allow local jurisdictions to make public investments in affordable housing. REET offers an opportunity to re-capture a portion of that value upon the transfer of property and reinvest it in critical affordable housing infrastructure.
Fund the Washington Youth and Families Fund (WYFF)
Key partner: Building Changes
Fund the Washington Youth and Family Fund. Over the past ten years $17 million dollars invested by Washington State has leveraged $35.5 million in private and philanthropic dollars for innovative strategies that address homelessness at a systems and youth/family level. The WYFF is a unique public-private partnership dedicated to making homelessness rare, brief and one-time by funding model strategies and innovative programs that address homelessness at the systems and family/youth level.
Policy
Improve Data Collection and Informed Consent
Lead: WLIHA
Preserve McKinney funding ($39 million in WA State), by improving our statewide compliance with federal Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) standards. Amend RCW 43.185C.180 to improve participation rates, compliance with federal data quality requirements, and performance of emerging coordinated entry systems. This amendment would improve data collection and reinforce improved informed consent and accountability for those collecting data.
Youth Consent
Lead: WLIHA
An amendment is needed to address a recent Attorney General ruling to re-allow young people under 18 to consent to having their information included in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), mirroring RCW provisions allowing minors to consent to mental health treatment. With youth under 18 not having the ability to consent to participating in HMIS, our community has no capacity to understand the needs of youth and young adults in our system. Data included in HMIS with youth consent would provide information about which youth and young adults in child welfare are showing up in the homeless youth system. Inclusion of this data would also allow for better understanding of the effectiveness of under 18 interventions on preventing youth homelessness.
Certificate of Restoration
Lead: Partners for Our Children, SPAN
Reduce barriers to housing and employment for those exiting the criminal justice system through creation of a Certificate of Restoration. The certificate would help reduce barriers to employment for adults and juveniles who have a criminal history. The legislation identifies the requirements necessary to apply for a certificate.
Source of Income Restrictions
Lead: HDC, WLIHA
Prevent landlords from denying tenancy based solely on the grounds of the tenant relying on a subsidy or unearned income (such as Social Security Disability Insurance - SSDI) to pay all or a portion of their rent. Would still allow landlords to reject applications of tenants who do not have enough income/resources to meet the monthly rental payment, and to otherwise still deny tenancy on any other legal grounds.
Truth in Evictions Reporting Act
Lead: WLIHA
Eviction court has many different outcomes. The tenant could have been wrongfully named, the tenant could have been a victim of their landlord’s foreclosure, or the tenant could have prevailed. But tenant reports list all eviction lawsuits as equal. No matter the outcome, tenants have a mark on their record. This mark makes accessing a rental home in the future much more difficult. This is particularly important as King County strives to meet state requirements to increase rental assistance dollars paid in the private market.The Fair Credit Reporting Act is amended to prohibit consumer reporting agencies from including eviction records in any consumer report, if: the eviction suit did not result in a judgment finding the tenant liable for unlawful detainer (eviction) or otherwise in unlawful possession of the premises; the tenant was restored to his or her tenancy; or the judgment reflects a residual amount of rent left owed after the defendant substantially prevailed in an affirmative defense, counterclaim, or set-off. The Residential Landlord Tenant Act is amended to prohibit consumer reporting agencies from including any information regarding a tenant’s prior involvement in such an eviction suit in a tenant screening report. A person injured by a violation of either of these provisions may bring a civil action to recover actual damages sustained, court costs, and reasonable attorney’s fees.
Fair Tenant Screening Act
Lead: WLIHA, Tenants Union, Solid Ground
Address the high costs of unnecessarily repeated tenant screenings by ensuring that if tenants can provide landlords access to an exhaustive and timely report, they cannot be charged for another report.This is particularly important in keeping with the new requirement to increase rental assistance dollars paid in the private market.Additionally, evictions should be reportable on tenant screening reports only when a tenant is found guilty at the end of an eviction preceding.
All Home works closely with its partners to advance these priorities, including:
All Home 2016 State Legislative AgendaContact: Mark Putnam, Director –