WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Op-ed: Rep. Sawyer, Sen. Benton make case for homeless in The Olympian newspaper

Homeless funds at risk unless Legislature acts

By REP. DAVID SAWYER AND SEN. DON BENTON

Special to The Olympian March 7, 2014

In Thurston County, an emergency shelter, two youth shelters, a domestic violence shelter and even nationally recognized Quixote Village face the loss of the money they need to stay open unless we in the Legislature can cut through the politics and approve a homeless services bill that has drawn bipartisan support.

At risk is a state program that collects a $40 fee on deeds, mortgages, leases and other real-estate documents filed at county auditors’ offices. The fees — more than $50 million a year — go to pay for emergency shelters, transitional housing, rental assistance and vouchers for victims of human trafficking. They are the largest source of funds for homeless services in every county in the state.

Most of those fees are set to be phased out by 2017 — unless House Bill 2368 is approved by the Legislature. The bill passed the House with broad support from Democrats and Republicans. But in the Senate, a committee failed to bring a carefully crafted bipartisan compromise to a vote — despite pleas from both sides of the aisle. It apparently has fallen victim to a petty political skirmish between the House and Senate.

Too much is at stake to allow politics to get in the way of helping people — people who are depending on their lawmakers to do the right thing. Among our school-age population alone, more than 30,000 children suffer homelessness at some point during the school year.

Even we — two legislators from different chambers and opposite sides of the partisan divide — can come together and recognize that the time to act is now. The first of the fees are scheduled to expire July 1, 2015 — and counties, cities and social service agencies must know soon how much financial support they can depend on for their homeless programs.

HB 2368 means the difference between a decent place to stay for tens of thousands of men, women and children, and desperate nights on the streets or in the woods or in some dirty, dangerous corner of our cities or towns.

It means that every time someone or some family realizes the dream of buying a home, they also contribute to safe and secure shelter for others less fortunate than they.

Rep. David Sawyer, D-Tacoma, represents the 29th District. He is the bill’s lead sponsor. Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, represents the 17th District.