Two bills to limit how much cities can regulate homelessness died in the Washington Legislature this session, but could come back next year.
The proposals, one seeking a new statewide standard for cities’ homeless camping bans and another looking to reduce permitting roadblocks, never made it to the House floor. Lawmakers were divided over the proposals and are turning to a budget fight, letting these proposals die.
Republicans’ primary focus has been on housing supply and rent assistance rather than homelessness, said Rep. Sam Low, R-Lake Stevens. He said to address homeless issues at the statewide level the two parties “need to start working together” as the majority of Republican bills on the topic were never given a committee hearing.
Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac, proposed House Bill 1380, which would have required any laws regulating the use of public space be “objectively reasonable” as to the time, place and manner. The bill, modeled off an Oregon law, drew criticism from city officials who said it was too vague.
Following a U.S. Supreme Court Ruling last June that ruled punishing people for sleeping outside was not “cruel or unusual,” many cities adopted stricter regulations on the use of public space. Burien passed an outright ban on living outside in February.
Gregerson said the proposed state standard would have allowed cities to continue developing policies to fit their unique needs while also ensuring local homeless populations were protected from unreasonable punishments.
The bill is dead for this year’s session. However, Gregerson said she is “absolutely interested and committed to” reintroducing the bill next year.
Another piece of Democratic homelessness legislation, House Bill 1195, also never made it to the House floor. The bill sought to remove permitting roadblocks that prevent emergency shelters, transitional housing, indoor emergency housing and permanent supportive housing from being built in certain areas.
Gregerson said pairing HB 1195 and HB 1380 is important.
“Accountability in these areas is where rubber meets the road,” she said. “We need to keep working in partnership with everyone so we can solve these problems.”
Alison Eisinger, executive director of the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness, supported both bills and hoped to see them move in tandem with a Senate effort to ensure compliance with housing elements of the Growth Management Act, which directs local governments on how to manage population growth.
Eisinger said the coalition will continue working on the House legislation between now and next year’s session, knowing that legislative progress on these kinds of policies is often a multiyear effort.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified where Rep. Mia Gregerson lives.