Colleagues,
Here is a quick update from yesterday's Coalition meeting with a few additional pieces of information:

!.  State 

Watch for alerts from the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance on the final operating and capital budgets and any remaining homelessness/housing bills.
We want the final budgets to come as close to the House budgets as possible - a total of $235Million.
Status of certain key bills:
6378 is on its way to the Governor to sign.  This is a tenant bill which modified the 14 day pay or vacate notice to include the tenant name and address, language clarifying appropriate method of payment for rent owed, clarified legal recourse available to tenants.  Here's the Final Bill Report Final Bill Report

Certain bills have passed both the House and Senate but have differences which require concurrence.  That process must happen before March 12 when the Legislature adjourns. I don't track concurrence.  The Alliance will alert us if there are any problems.
1590 rose from the dead as we were finishing our meeting Friday morning and passed the Senate.  It allows city and county councils to adopt a 1/10th of 1% sales tax for affordable housing.  No vote of the people is required.  Here's the link Senate Bill Report
1694 passed the Senate.  This is Rep. Morgan's bill allowing installment payments of certain rental costs.  Here's the Senate Bill Report Engrossed Senate Bill Report
2535 is Rep. Kirby's bill provides a grace period before late fees may be imposed for past due rent.  Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill Report

Short sessions are difficult when there are many very good bills.  Some of those bills are just too controversial to get through the process but are good bills and will return next year.  Some really good bills made it through - a list will eventually come out.  Several of our Pierce County legislators deserve our thanks.  That information will also be available but in the meantime, know that Rep. Laurie Jinkins has done amazing work in her first year as Speaker of the House.  

The Alliance will hold an end of Session Advocacy call on Friday, March 13.  I think the time is 12:30.  This is open to all housing and homelessness advocates.  I'll send the link in a later email.

2.  Pierce County

Here's the packet for the County Council meeting, 3pm on March 10.  Passage does not look hopeful.  The March 10, 2020 - 3 pm Council Meeting Packet is available at:  http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/index.aspx?NID=4516.  The following is from the County's website and allows you to comment directly on-line - see the right side of the page.  Clicking on that "How to comment on Legislation" button will bring up a form you can easily fill-in.  You may also directly email the Council members.  

County Council to consider one-tenth of 1% sales tax for behavioral health

The Pierce County Council will be considering a one-tenth of 1% sales tax for behavioral health.
The following three actions regarding behavioral health will be discussed at the council meeting on March 10, at 3 p.m.

Proposed Resolution No. R2020-13  A Resolution of the Pierce County Council Creating the Office of Behavioral Health Oversight Within the Office of the Pierce County Council. (Office of Behavioral Health Oversight)



Proposed Resolution No. R2020-20  A Resolution of the Pierce County Council Requesting the Regional System of Care Committee Deliver to the Council by October 1, 2020, a Strategic Plan for Behavioral Health System Improvements to Inform Future Behavioral Health Tax Expenditures; Specifying the Council’s Intent to Act on an Ordinance Imposing a Behavioral Health Tax No Later than December 31, 2020. (Request for Strategic Plan for Behavioral Health System Improvements – Statement of Intent Relating to Imposition of Behavioral Health Tax)



Proposed Resolution No. R2020-24s  An Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Amending Chapter 2.51 of the Pierce County Code, "Chemical Dependency Advisory Board," to Replace the Chemical Dependency Advisory Board with the Newly Created Behavioral Health Coordinating Commission; Amending Chapter 4.28 of the Pierce County Code, "Sales and Use Tax"; Amending Section 4.48.020 of the Pierce County Code, "Special Revenue Funds"; Authorizing the Levy and Collection of an Additional Sales and Use Tax of One-Tenth of One Percent for Behavioral Health and Therapeutic Courts; Providing for Allocation and Use of Taxes Received; Making Declarations and Findings Related to Behavioral Health Disorders and Establishing County Goals and Priorities; Providing for Administration of Taxes Collected; Prescribing Violations and Penalties; Directing Tax Collection to Begin at the Earliest Date Consistent with Revised Code of Washington 82.14.055; Adopting a Planning Framework for the Behavioral Health Coordinating Commission; and Establishing a Sunset Date. (Sales and Use Tax for Behavioral Health Services and Therapeutic Courts - Behavioral Health Coordinating Commission Created)



3.  City of Tacoma

Tiegan Tidball, City of Tacoma, told us she thinks the planned March 12 community meeting on the development of Neighborhood and Community Services Strategic Plan will be rescheduled.  Here's the link to the Santa Clarita plan developed by the same consultants working with NCS - Analytic Insight.  Click on the button on the bottom of the page to go to the Santa Clarita plan.  https://www.analyticinsight.org/housing-and-homelessness.  I know there are many good consultants and lots of ways to develop plans and present information   I just happen to like this one.  I like the network analysis and it seems to me we have the basics of that in the TPC Coalition to End Homelessness.  

Enough for now,  thank you for your work and watch for alerts forwarded from the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance,

Maureen

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MaureenHowardConsulting
maureenhowardconsulting@gmail.com

Tel:  253-756-8146 (LL)
Cell:  253-255-2200
3320 S. 8th Street
Tacoma, WA 98405