Homeless people would have quick access to shelters and other facilities under a $815 million, multi-agency plan supported by Gov. Jay Inslee.
Inslee on Feb. 3 pressed the state legislature to pass Senate Bill 5662. The law would create an intergovernmental coordination office to reduce the number of homeless camps by helping people get into permanent housing.
“We have to move more quickly and compassionately to serve the thousands of people who are now living under bridges, on our sidewalks, on the shoulders of our freeways,” he said.
Inslee was joined by King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards, Seattle City Council president Debora Juarez and Spokane City Councilmember Betsy Wilkerson.
Inslee said the funds will invest in new housing, the creation of crisis response programs and medical respite funding and other options.
Woodards said, “Having state support will allow us to better show up and serve and put people on a better path to permanent housing.”
Nearly half of the proposed budget would secure more tiny homes, enhanced emergency shelters, permanent supportive housing and permanent affordable housing to get people off the streets.
Juarez said the bill resolves jurisdiction issues currently delaying the creation of permanent housing for people living in encampments and shelters in Seattle. The city declared a state of emergency on homelessness in 2015.
“It is our responsibility as elected officials to ensure that everyone in Washington has a place to call home,” she said.
Harrell said the issue of homelessness in Seattle and across the state will not be fixed overnight, but passage of the bill could provide the resources to create visible progress within months.
The bill was passed out of committee and was referred to Ways & Means Feb. 2.
Police restraint
Mental health victims and juveniles can be restrained by law enforcement when responding to requests for assistance from crisis responders.
That is the thrust of House Bill 1735, which passed the state House 90-5 and is now under consideration in the Senate.
The bill is intended to end confusion caused by the adoption of last year’s House Bill 1310 which prevented crisis responders from receiving police assistance in detaining or transporting people.
“We’re talking about hands-on…whether law enforcement can physically interact with people, not to hurt them but to help them,” said Rep. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland.
“We’re talking about people in a mental health crisis, juveniles who have run away, juveniles who might be abused in households and other circumstances like that,” he said.
House Bill 1735 also modifies House Bill 1310’s provision for when deadly force is justified by replacing the term “imminent threat” with “immediate threat.”
