Title 43, STATE GOVERNMENT—EXECUTIVE

(1) The department shall, in consultation with the interagency council on homelessness, the affordable housing advisory board, and the state advisory council on homelessness, prepare and publish a five-year homeless housing strategic plan which must outline statewide goals and pe…

(1) By December 1st of each year, the department must provide an update on the state's homeless housing strategic plan and its activities for the prior fiscal year. The report must include, but not be limited to, the following information: (a) An assessment of the current conditi…

(1) Each local homeless housing task force shall prepare and recommend to its local government legislative authority a five-year homeless housing plan for its jurisdictional area, which shall be not inconsistent with the department's statewide guidelines issued by December 1, 201…

(1) The home security fund account is created in the state treasury, subject to appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used only for programs as described in this chapter. (2)(a) By December 15, 2021, the department, in consultation with stakeholder groups specified …

(1) During each calendar year in which moneys from the home security fund account are available for use by the department for the homeless housing grant program, the department shall announce to all Washington counties, participating cities, and through major media throughout the…

(1) Only a local government is eligible to receive a homeless housing grant from the home security fund account. Any city may assert responsibility for homeless housing within its borders if it so chooses, by forwarding a resolution to the legislative authority of the county stat…

The department shall allocate grant moneys from the *homeless housing account to finance in whole or in part programs and projects in approved local homeless housing plans to assist homeless individuals and families gain access to adequate housing, prevent at-risk individuals fro…

The department shall provide technical assistance to any participating local government that requests such assistance. Technical assistance activities may include: (1) Assisting local governments to identify appropriate parties to participate on local homeless housing task forces…

The department shall establish a uniform process for participating local governments to report progress toward reducing homelessness and meeting locally established goals. [ 2005 c 484 s 15.]

The department may adopt such rules as may be necessary to effect the purposes of this chapter. [ 2005 c 484 s 16.]

The department shall ensure that the state's interest is protected upon the development, use, sale, or change of use of projects constructed, acquired, or financed in whole or in part through the homeless housing grant program. These policies may include, but are not limited to: …

The department of social and health services shall exempt payments to individuals provided under this chapter when determining eligibility for public assistance. [ 2005 c 484 s 20.]

This chapter does not require either the department or any local government to expend any funds to accomplish the goals of this chapter other than the revenues authorized in chapter 484, Laws of 2005. However, neither the department nor any local government may use any funds auth…

(1) Each county shall create a homeless housing task force to develop a five-year homeless housing plan addressing short-term and long-term housing for homeless persons. Membership on the task force may include representatives of the counties, cities, towns, housing authorities, …

(1) The interagency council on homelessness, as defined in RCW 43.185C.010, shall be convened not later than August 31, 2006, and shall meet at least two times each year and report to the appropriate committees of the legislature annually by December 31st on its activities. (2) T…

(1) In order to improve services for the homeless, the department, within amounts appropriated by the legislature for this specific purpose, shall implement the Washington homeless client management information system for the ongoing collection and updates of information about al…

(1) The eviction prevention rental assistance program is created in the department to prevent evictions by providing resources to households most likely to become homeless or suffer severe health consequences, or both, after an eviction, while promoting equity by prioritizing hou…

The affordable housing for all account is created in the state treasury, subject to appropriation. Expenditures from the account may only be used for allowable uses as described in RCW 36.22.250(5). During the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium, expenditures from the account may be used f…

(1) The department of commerce shall establish a pilot program to provide grants to eligible organizations, as described in RCW 43.185A.040, to provide transitional housing assistance to offenders who are reentering the community and are in need of housing. (2) There shall be a m…

(1) The transitional housing operating and rent program is created in the department to assist individuals and families who are homeless or who are at risk of becoming homeless to secure and retain safe, decent, and affordable housing. The department shall provide grants to eligi…

(1) The department shall distribute funds for the essential needs and housing support program established under this section in a manner consistent with the requirements of this section and the biennial operating budget. The first distribution of funds must be completed by Septem…

The department, in collaboration with the department of social and health services, shall: (1) Develop a mechanism through which the department and local governments or community-based organizations can verify a person has been determined eligible for a referral for essential nee…

(1)(a) The administrator of a crisis residential center may convene a multidisciplinary team, which is to be locally based and administered, at the request of a child placed at the center or the child's parent. (b) If the administrator has reasonable cause to believe that a child…

(1) The purpose of the multidisciplinary team is to assist in a coordinated referral of the family to available social and health-related services. (2) The team shall have the authority to evaluate the juvenile, and family members, if appropriate and agreed to by the parent, and …

(1) A law enforcement officer shall take a child into custody: (a) If a law enforcement agency has been contacted by the parent of the child that the child is absent from parental custody without consent; or (b) If a law enforcement officer reasonably believes, considering the ch…

(1) An officer taking a child into custody under RCW 43.185C.260(1) (a) or (b) shall inform the child of the reason for such custody and shall: (a) Transport the child to his or her home or to a parent at his or her place of employment, if no parent is at home. The parent may req…

(1) A law enforcement officer acting in good faith pursuant to this chapter is immune from civil or criminal liability for such action. (2) A person with whom a child is placed pursuant to this chapter and who acts reasonably and in good faith is immune from civil or criminal lia…

(1) The administrator of a designated crisis residential center shall perform the duties under subsection (3) of this section: (a) Upon admitting a child who has been brought to the center by a law enforcement officer under RCW 43.185C.265; (b) Upon admitting a child who has run …

The administrator of a crisis residential center shall notify parents and the appropriate law enforcement agency as to any unauthorized leave from the center by a child placed at the center. The administrator shall also notify the department of children, youth, and families immed…

(1) A child admitted to a secure facility located in a juvenile detention center shall remain in the facility for at least twenty-four hours after admission but for not more than five consecutive days. A child admitted to a secure facility not located in a juvenile detention cent…

(1) The department shall establish, through performance-based contracts with private or public vendors, regional crisis residential centers with semi-secure facilities. These facilities shall be structured group care facilities licensed under rules adopted by the department of so…

Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the capacity available in crisis residential centers established pursuant to this chapter shall be increased incrementally by no fewer than ten beds per fiscal year through fiscal year 2019 in order to accommodate truant students fo…

No contract may provide reimbursement or compensation to: (1) A secure facility located in a juvenile detention center for any service delivered or provided to a resident child after five consecutive days of residence; or (2) A secure facility not located in a juvenile detention …

(1) If a resident of a crisis residential center becomes by his or her behavior disruptive to the facility's program, such resident may be immediately removed to a separate area within the facility and counseled on an individual basis until such time as the child regains his or h…

(1) A child taken into custody and taken to a crisis residential center established pursuant to RCW 43.185C.295 may, if the center is unable to provide appropriate treatment, supervision, and structure to the child, be taken at department expense to another crisis residential cen…

(1) The department shall establish HOPE centers across the state and may establish HOPE centers by contract, within funds appropriated by the legislature specifically for this purpose. HOPE centers shall be operated in a manner to reasonably assure that street youth placed there …

To be eligible for placement in a HOPE center, a minor must be either a street youth, as that term is defined in this chapter, or a youth who, without placement in a HOPE center, will continue to participate in increasingly risky behavior, including truancy. Youth may also self-r…

The department shall provide technical assistance in preparation of grant proposals for HOPE centers and responsible living skills programs to nonprofit organizations unfamiliar with and inexperienced in submission of requests for proposals to the department. [ 1999 c 267 s 21. F…

The department shall consider prioritizing, on an ongoing basis, the awarding of contracts for HOPE centers and responsible living skills programs to providers who have not traditionally been awarded contracts with the department. [ 1999 c 267 s 22. Formerly RCW 74.15.270.] Notes…

(1) Subject to funds appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall administer a grant program that links students experiencing homelessness and their families with stable housing located in the student's school district. The goals of the program are to: (a) Provide…

This chapter may be known and cited as the homelessness housing and assistance act. [ 2005 c 484 s 2.]

If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state, the conflicting part of this act is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict and with respect to the agencies dire…

This act takes effect August 1, 2005. [ 2005 c 484 s 25.]