A bill that could increase funding for homeless services passed the state House of Representatives on Thursday.
House Bill 1570 eliminates the sunset on document recording fees, a major source of funds for homeless services, and gives counties the option to increase the fee. The bill passed 51 to 47 with state representatives Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver, and Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, voting for it. Republican representatives Vicki Kraft, Brandon Vick and Liz Pike voted against it.
Kate Budd, executive director of the local Council for the Homeless, said the bill could be a “game changer” and that extra funds would be incredibly helpful.
“We’re certainly really pleased to see 1570 passed out of the House,” Budd said. “That was very exciting.”
The Council for the Homeless brought 36 people to Olympia earlier this month to advocate for homelessness and housing related legislation. Budd said they’re eyeing other bills that address source of income discrimination, rent assistance eligibility and a potential fund for landlords to recoup losses.
Stonier said the bill will provide a steady stream of funding for programs that she said have a high success rate.
“We know that when people get into these programs they (get out of being) homeless,” she said.
Harris said that he was the only House Republican to vote for the bill. He said he was comfortable voting for the bill because Vancouver has seen an increase in homelessness.
He also said Vancouver has shown a willingness to increase funding for homeless services after voters passed Prop. 1 in 2016, which created an annual levy to fund affordable housing.
He said he volunteered to spend a night in a homeless shelter and was struck by the condition of the people there, many of whom he said had jobs.
“It’s pretty tragic that’s where they’re at,” he said.
Harris said it will be “fascinating” to see how the county spends the money.
Clark County spends about $5.3 million annually on homeless services. Of that, roughly $3 million comes from document recording fees, but it fluctuates depending on the number of people who purchase homes. About 60 percent of the $48 fee goes to Clark County and the rest goes to the state, which can get redistributed back into the county through the state Department of Commerce’s Consolidated Homeless Grants. Currently, the fees are set to sunset in 2023.
Clark County Community Services, the department that manages and distributes these funds, is watching 1570 closely.
Michael Torres, program manger at Clark County Community Services, said that if it went through as currently written, “it would be a significant increase” in funds for homeless services.
As with any bill, amendments and negotiations can happen.
“They could keep the sunset and kick it out further. They could remove the sunset and change the level of the optional (fee) increase — who knows,” Torres said.
However, the bill could have a harder time in the Senate, where Democrats control the chamber by one vote.
Speaking at an event sponsored by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, Senate Minority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, said it’s “healthy” for the fee to be reauthorized.
