Dear friends and neighbors,
Addressing our housing crisis is a top priority. As your State Representative, I have been a strong advocate in Olympia for policies that keep people in their homes and investments for affordable and transitional housing, emergency shelter providers, mental health, substance use treatment, and more.
This year we made one of the largest investments in state history to increase affordable housing, bring unsheltered people into housing, and address behavioral health needs. Here are a few of the highlights:
- $300 million for Rapid Housing Acquisition to help local governments purchase properties and get unsheltered people into housing as quickly as possible.
- $145 million for utility and rental assistance to assist individuals in need.
- $115 million for the state’s Housing Trust Fund, which provides capital financing in the form of loans and grants to affordable housing projects.
- $55 million to increase salaries for homeless service workers.
- $45 million to help transition people camping on public roads and highways to emergency and permanent housing.
- $14.9 million for facilities for homeless youth.
- $3 million to assist tenant and landlord relations, including funding for dispute resolution services.
- $6 million to expand access to no-barrier, low-barrier, and transitional housing using a housing-first approach.
- $4 million for an emergency adolescent housing pilot, which will provide a supportive housing option for youth aged 16 and older.
The Legislature also passed several measures to increase affordable housing and help homeless individuals, especially youth, gain access to housing assistance:
- HB 1866 allows more people to find stable housing and access medically necessary services through the Apple Health and Homes program.
- SB 5566 extends the age of eligibility for the independent youth housing program to provide additional housing assistance for foster youth and help cut off the pipeline into homelessness.
- HB 1905 creates a statewide rapid response team to ensure youth in foster care, juvenile rehabilitation, and in-patient behavioral health treatment are not released into homelessness.
- HB 1643 helps non-profit developers and public housing authorities preserve existing housing and acquire land for new development by exempting those transfers from the real estate excise tax.
- SB 5818 streamlines the state’s growth management and environmental policy acts to allow faster construction.
Expanding Access to Behavioral Healthcare
Strengthening our behavioral health system is a key piece of the holistic solution to our homelessness crisis. The Legislature has allocated $985 million towards building out a comprehensive behavioral health system in Washington, including funding for a new statewide Recovery Navigator Program. These navigators will provide intake & assessment services to individuals referred from law enforcement and connect those individuals with treatment options, stabilization housing, and other wrap-around services.
| This session, we also passed several bills to establish a more robust behavioral health support network here in Washington, including:
HB 1890 lays the groundwork for developing a comprehensive, statewide plan to expand access to behavioral healthcare so children, young people, and families can get the assistance when and where they need it. HB 1800 creates a new parent portal with access to life-saving information & resources. SB 5736 requires coverage for partial hospitalization programs and intensive outpatient mental health services for youth insured by Apple Health for Kids. These steps will allow Washington to continue to build a system that supports solutions to fully address our state’s behavioral health crisis. |
State & Local Resources
Need help accessing state or local resources but don’t know where to start? Check out the Resources page on my website! You’ll find information on some of the best available programs and services to support Washington small businesses, non-profits, and cultural organizations. Click here to see more!
Election Year Communication Restrictions
Each election year, there are certain restrictions on legislator communications to prevent the use of state resources for election purposes. These restrictions include a freeze on my legislative Facebook account and my legislative webpage, meaning these pages can not be updated beginning May 16, 2022, until after the general election in November.
But I’m still here to help! Please continue to reach out to me or my office directly at Liz.Berry@leg.wa.gov or (206) 709-5260 if there’s anything I can do to assist you or your family. You’ll also be able to find loads of information and access to state & local resources on my website → housedemocrats.wa.gov/berry
This will be my last legislative email newsletter before the restrictions begin, so I hope you have a happy, healthy summer. See you around in the neighborhood!
Best wishes,
State Representative Liz Berry
36th Legislative District