Drafter

Clerk 11/12/2021

Title

AN ORDINANCE adopting the Initial Health through Housing Implementation Plan to govern the expenditure of sales and use tax proceeds authorized by K.C.C. chapter 4A.503 and RCW 82.14.530 from 2022 through 2028 and creating the health through housing advisory committee; and adding a new section to K.C.C. chapter 4A.300.

Body

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

1.  In December 2018, the King County regional affordable housing task force found that the region needs an additional forty-four thousand homes affordable for very low- and extremely low-income households over the next five years.

2.  Additional funding is required to address the urgent need for affordable housing in King County.

3.  In November 2015, King County declared a state of emergency to address the homelessness crisis.

4.  As of December 31, 2020, more than three thousand eight hundred households receiving homeless services in King County are experiencing chronic homelessness.

5.  Studies show that people experiencing chronic homelessness experience more negative physical health, lower behavioral health outcomes and victimization.

6.  Studies show the costs of permanent supportive housing for these households is far less than the crisis system costs from these households experiencing homelessness.

7.  One-room settings, in particular permanent affordable housing with supportive services, are proven to improve health outcomes and housing stability and reduce crisis system use.

8.  As of August 11, 2021, more than six hundred ten thousand Americans had died from COVID-19.

9.  Persons living in congregate shelters are particularly vulnerable to rapid spread of airborne disease like COVID-19 because persons living in congregate shelters are disproportionately persons of color, older than average, experiencing higher rates of underlying health conditions, and by definition without a safe place in which to observe social distancing and best practices of hygiene.

10.  In 2020, the Regional Action Framework identified a need for six thousand five hundred additional units of supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness.

11.  In 2020, only thirty-seven percent of adult Medicaid enrollees with an identified need for substance use disorder treatment in King County received treatment, and only half of those needing mental health treatment received treatment.

12.  To combat the intersecting crises of COVID-19, chronic homelessness, housing affordability and behavioral health disorder, there is need for a robust approach that provides more stable affordable housing for those experiencing chronic homelessness, and at risk of chronic homelessness, and increases access to behavioral health treatment and housing-stability services for those households.

13.  In the 2020 Regular Session, the Washington state Legislature approved, and the Governor signed, Substitute House Bill 1590, which became Chapter 222, Laws of Washington 2020 (the act”).

14.  The act authorizes the governing body of a county to impose a local sales and use tax for affordable housing, housing-related services, the operations and maintenance costs of affordable housing and facilities where housing-related programs are provided, behavioral health-related facilities, newly constructed evaluation and treatment centers, and the operation, delivery or evaluation of behavioral health treatment programs and services.

15.  The metropolitan King County council has determined that imposing the sales and use tax to improve the region's health outcomes and address the housing affordability crisis will benefit the county's residents.

16.  K.C.C. chapter 4A.503 imposed in King County the tax authorized under the act, established certain priorities and objectives for the use of the proceeds and the deposit of proceeds in the health through housing fund.

17.  In the 2021 Regular Session, the Washington state Legislature approved, and the Governor signed, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1070, which became Chapter 27, Laws of Washington 2021, amending the act to permit acquisition of existing structures or land for affordable housing, housing-related services, or behavioral health-related facilities as an allowable use of the sales and use tax proceeds.

18.  K.C.C. 24.30.020 requires the executive to develop and transmit for council review and adoption by ordinance an initial implementation plan for use of proceeds from the sales and use tax authorized by K.C.C. chapter 4A.503 and RCW 82.14.530.  The initial implementation plan, once effective, will govern the expenditure of sales and use tax proceeds from 2022 through 2028.

19.  The initial implementation plan adopted by this ordinance was developed in consultation with the affordable housing committee and the chief executive officer of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.

20.  The initial implementation plan adopted by this ordinance describes the: goals; strategies; performance measures; reporting requirements; annual expenditure plan to direct the use of proceeds from 2022 through 2028; responsibilities of a health through housing advisory committee; processes for working with other jurisdictions and partnerships; and manner of satisfying the requirements of RCW 82.14.530.

21.  K.C.C chapter 24.30 requires that the implementation plan adoption ordinance form a health though housing advisory committee, to provide advice to the executive and council and to report annually to the council and the community on the accomplishments and effectiveness of the expenditure of proceeds.

                     BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:

                     SECTION 1.  The Initial Health through Housing Implementation Plan, dated August 30, 2021, Attachment A to this ordinance, is hereby adopted to govern the expenditure of the sales and use tax proceeds as authorized by K.C.C. chapter 4A.503 and RCW 82.14.530, from 2022 through 2028.

                     NEW SECTION.  SECTION 2.  There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 2A.300 a new section to read as follows:

                     A.  The health through housing advisory committee is created to provide advice to the executive and council and report annually to the council and community on the accomplishments and effectiveness of the expenditure of sales and use tax proceeds as authorized by K.C.C. chapter 4A.503 and RCW 82.14.530.  Annual reporting to the council and the community shall include information on the allocation by jurisdiction of sales and use tax proceeds as authorized by K.C.C. chapter 4A.503 and RCW 82.14.530.  No later than June 15 of each year, beginning with the first report to be filed by June 15, 2023, on behalf of the advisory committee, the executive shall electronically file the annual report and a motion that should acknowledge receipt of the report with the clerk of the council, who shall retain an electronic copy and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers, the council chief and members and alternates of the regional policy committee, or its successor.  The clerk of the council shall retain an electronic copy and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers, the council chief of staff and the lead staff for the committee of the whole, or its successor.

                     B.  The committee shall be comprised of between twelve and sixteen members to be appointed by the executive, in accordance with this section.  Membership shall include:

                       1.  Persons who have experienced homelessness;

                       2.  Persons representative of racial and ethnic communities that are demographically disproportionately represented among persons experiencing chronic homelessness in King County;

                       3.  Residents of cities with populations greater than sixty thousand persons and of unincorporated areas; and

                       4.  Representatives from other county, city and subregional boards, commissions or committees to promote regional coordination and coordination across King County human services investments.

                     C.  Before appointing members to the committee, the executive shall provide notice to the council, setting forth the name, biography and term of each proposed committee member.  The executive shall send the notice electronically to the clerk of the council, who shall retain an electronic copy and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers, the council chief of staff and the lead staff for the committee of the whole, or its successor.  Unless the council adopts a motion requesting changes to the proposed appointments within thirty days following receipt of the executive's notice, the executive may proceed with appointments set forth in the notice.

                     D.  The executive shall establish initial terms of appointment, with one-third of positions having an initial term of two years, one-third of positions having an initial term of three years and the remainder of the positions having an initial term of four years.  All subsequent terms shall be for four years.  A person shall not serve on the committee for more than four consecutive years.

                     SECTION 3.  Severability.  If any provision of this ordinance or its application to

any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the ordinance or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.