Drafter
Clerk 05/01/2006
title
A MOTION approving the policies, priorities and procedures for allocating and awarding funds available to King County pursuant to RCW 43.185C.010(9) and 43.185C.050 and authorizing the Committee to End Homelessness in King County to proceed with the implementation of said policies, priorities and procedures.
body
WHEREAS, homelessness is recognized as a critical issue in King County and other places in the nation, and
WHEREAS, the regional one-night count of homeless persons estimates that approximately eight thousand three hundred King County residents experience homelessness on any given night, and
WHEREAS, over twenty-four thousand King County residents will experience at least one episode of homelessness during the coming year, and
WHEREAS, King County finds it unacceptable that such a high number of our citizens cannot find safe, decent, affordable and permanent housing, and
WHEREAS, the Committee to End Homelessness in King County ("the CEHKC"), a regional committee comprised of representatives of King County, the City of Seattle and other county cities, foundations, the faith community, the business community, nonprofit organizations and homeless individuals, has completed A Roof Over Every Bed in King County: Our Community's Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness, a plan that seeks to end homelessness by working together to improve the use of existing housing and service resources, as well as generating necessary additional resources, and
WHEREAS, the Washington State Legislature called for the creation of ten-year plans to end homelessness in communities across the state through passage of Chapter 484, Laws of Washington 2005 (Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2163), known as the Homeless Housing and Assistance Act, as passed in April 2005, and
WHEREAS, Chapter 484, Laws of Washington 2005, creates a new funding source available to eligible Washington cities and counties that is expected to generate approximately three million dollars per year for the region for homeless prevention and supportive services and the creation of affordable housing, and
WHEREAS, on September 1, 2005, the metropolitan King County council unanimously approved Ordinance 15284 adopting the ten-year plan to end homelessness in King County as submitted by the CEHKC and designating the CEHKC as the local homeless and housing task force pursuant to RCW 43.185C.010(9) and 43.185C.050 (Sections 3(9) and 8, Chapter 484, Laws of Washington 2005), and
WHEREAS, the CEHKC was charged with recommending policies, priorities and procedures for the allocation of new revenues available pursuant to Chapter 484, Laws of Washington 2005, and
WHEREAS, the CEHKC conducted an extensive community process involving local leaders from throughout King County representing business, faith, housing development, service providers, planners, advocates, consumers and other interested partners, from which it developed a set of recommended priorities and procedures for awarding moneys collected as a result of Chapter 484, Laws of Washington 2005, during 2005 to 2006, and
WHEREAS, these recommended priorities and procedures for awarding the moneys collected during 2005 to 2006 were formally adopted by the governing board of the CEHKC on January 25, 2006;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The metropolitan King County council approves the policies, priorities and procedures for allocating and awarding funds available to King County pursuant to RCW 43.185C.010(9) and 43.185C.050, authorizes the Committee to End Homelessness in King County to proceed with the implementation of those policies, priorities and procedures and requests the executive to submit a report to the council by April 2, 2007, from the Committee to End Homelessness in King County on the results of the first two funding rounds completed using those policies, priorities and procedures and on proposed changes in priorities and procedures for subsequent funding rounds based on experience with the initial rounds and progress in achieving the goals of the Ten Year Plan. Twelve copies of the report shall be filed with the clerk of the council, for distribution to all councilmembers and the lead staff of the law, justice and human services committee, or its successor.