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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPacket Health Board Aug 1 2023Whatcom County Council as the Health Board COUNTY COURTHOUSE 311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105 Bellingham, WA 98225-4038 (360) 778-5010 Meeting Agenda Tuesday, August 1, 2023 10 AM Civic Center Building Conference Room / Hybrid Meeting JOINT HEALTH BOARD/PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD MEETING - HYBRID MEETING (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil, OR CALL 360.778.5010) COUNCILMEMBERS Barry Buchanan Tyler Byrd Todd Donovan Ben Elenbaas Carol Frazey Kaylee Galloway Kathy Kershner CLERK OF THE COUNCIL Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C. Council as the Health Board Meeting Agenda August 1, 2023 Call To Order Roll Call Also Present Announcements Individuals who require special assistance to participate in the Council's meetings are asked to contact the Council Office at 360.778.5010 at least 96 hours in advance. This committee meeting is also noticed as a meeting of the Whatcom County Council, with the agenda limited to committee business. Meeting Materials AB2023-489 Meeting Materials for the Health Board August 1, 2023 Public comment Public Health Advisory Board (PHAB) update Health Officer update Behavioral Health Fund — opportunities and recommendations Resolution affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis and requesting updates on county actions (AB2023-485) AB2023-485 Resolution affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis and requesting updates on county actions (Council acting as the Health Board) Meeting evaluation Other Business Adjournment Whatcom County Page 2 Printed on 411412025 • Whatcom County COUNTY COURTHOUSE 311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105 Bellingham, WA 98225-4038 (360)778-5010 • Agenda Bill Master Report File Number: AB2023-489 File ID: AB2023-489 Version: 1 Status: Received File Created: 07/21/2023 Entered by: KFelbing@co.whatcom.wa.us Department: File Type: Receipt of Document(s) Assigned to: Council as the Health Board Final Action: 08/01/2023 Agenda Date: 08/01/2023 Enactment #: Primary Contact Email: kfelbing@co.whatcom.wa.us TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM: Meeting Materials for the Health Board August 1, 2023 SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: None HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE FILE Date: Acting Body: Action: Sent To: 08/01/2023 Council as the Health Board RECEIVED Attachments: 8.1.2023 Agenda Packet, Handout 1 (School Expenses) for Behavioral Health Fund discussion, Handout 2 and 3 (fund projections) for Behavioral Health Fund discussion, Memo for the July 10, 2023 joint PHAB and BHAC Meeting Whatcom County Page 1 Printed on 4/14/2025 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL COUNCIL MEETING AS THE HEALTH BOARD JOINT MEETING WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Garden Level Conference Room, Civic Building, 322 N. Commercial Street (if virtual: www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil) AGENDA 1. Roll call No paper 10:00-10:05 2. Public comment No paper 10:05-10:15 3. Public Health Advisory Board (PHAB) update No paper 10:15-10:20 4. Health Officer update No paper 10:20-10:25 5. Behavioral Health Fund — opportunities and recommendations No paper 10:25-11:05 g. Resolution affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis and requesting updates on county actions AB2023-485 Pages 2-5 11:05-11:25 7. Meeting evaluation No paper 11:25-11:30 PWHATCOM COUNTY HEALTH AND ■ COMMUNITY ' SERVICES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 PROPOSED BY: GALLOWAY, BUCHANAN INTRODUCTION DATE: AUGUST 1, 2023 RESOLUTION NO. AFFIRMING THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS ARE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AND REQUESTING UPDATES ON COUNTY ACTIONS WHEREAS, there are many factors leading to housing instability and the most frequent hardship is lack of affordable and available housing; and WHEREAS, on November 19, 2019, the Whatcom County Council approved 'A Home for Everyone: Strategic Plan to End Homelessness in Whatcom County' (AB2019-576) ; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan's Point -In -Time count identifies the top factors leading to homelessness as housing loss, unemployment, and mental illness; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan identifies seven strategies to address homelessness: 1. A centralized point of entry 2. Rapid rehousing 3. Permanent supportive housing 4. Increase the supply of affordable housing 5. Homelessness prevention and diversion 6. Interim housing, and 7. Economic security; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Coalition to End Homelessness (WCCEH) is a consortium of public and private agencies and non -profits that collaborate to create a system of housing and services, with the goal of moving homeless families and individuals to permanent housing and self-sufficiency; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH oversees the implementation of the local Continuum of Care and makes recommendations for filling gaps in services; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH's 2023 Annual Report provides a deeper understanding of Whatcom County residents experiencing homelessness with information from the annual Point -In -Time survey and public school students and their families; and WHEREAS, the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey counted 1,059 individuals from 850 different households that were experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County on January 26, 2023 ; and AB2023-485 Page 2 of 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, there was a 27% increase in persons experiencing homelessness and a 33% increase in households experiencing homelessness; and WHEREAS, the numbers of both individuals and households counted in 2023 are the highest reported since counting began in 2008; and WHEREAS, of the 1,059 persons counted in the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey, 711 slept in shelters or transitional housing facilities and 348 were unsheltered; and WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, unsheltered individuals counted increased by 91% and unsheltered households increased by 110%; and WHEREAS, over the last three years, an average of 88 households annually participated in the motel stays program for families with children; and WHEREAS, homelessness among public school students increased between 2021 and 2022 to a total of 372 students, with notable increases in the Lynden (103%) and Nooksack (250%) school Districts, likely flood related, and decreases in Blaine (-24%)and Mt. Baker school districts (-13%); and WHEREAS, the annual Point -In -Time count is based on a limited federal definition of homelessness and does not include people who have unstable access to housing; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Health and Community Services Department funds affordable housing, interim housing, supportive services, and permanent supportive housing with funding collected from a variety of sources ; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County specific funding sources include document recording fees, Consolidated Homeless Grant, Housing and Essential Needs Grant, Veterans Millage, Behavioral Health Sales Tax and Mental Health Millage, totaling 26% (2019) of total community investments; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County works with community partners to address homelessness, and in 2019 the County's share was approximately 26% with additional community investments from the City of Bellingham (26%), Housing Authority and other federal funding (21%), and private contributions (26%); and WHEREAS, according to the US Census, the Whatcom County median household income in 2021 (1-year estimate) was $72,055 and according to Redfin.com the median sale price of a home in Whatcom County in June 2023 was $605,000; and WHEREAS, Washington State acknowledges the state faces a significant shortage of housing, needing 1 million additional homes by 2044 and resulting in pressure on median home prices, which increased nearly 14% from 2021-2022; and WHEREAS, the state of Washington has allocated more than $2.4 billion toward a wide range of efforts to reduce homelessness and address the state's housing shortage; and AB2023-485 Page 3 of 5 I WHEREAS, according the Association of Washington Housing Authorities, only 26% 2 of Washington families in need of public housing are served, and families wait on average 3 3.5 years to be accepted into public housing; and 4 5 WHEREAS, According to the American Public Health Association, ending homelessness 6 is a public health issue, as those experiencing homelessness have high rates of chronic mental 7 and physical health conditions, co-occurring disorders, and barriers to care; and 8 9 WHEREAS, the Homeless Strategies Workgroup (HSW) was created by Council 10 Resolution 2017-055 and reconvened in 2019 (Resolution 2019-034) to identify: 11 1. Additional temporary winter shelters, 12 2. Added capacity for year-round shelters, 13 3. Additional opportunities to address the needs of the county' s homeless population, 14 and 15 4. Strategies to prevent people from having no other option than to sleep outside; and 16 17 WHEREAS, On May 4, 2021, the Whatcom County Council approved Resolution 2021- 18 018, receiving the HSW's recommendations, which included: 19 0 Provide motel stays for families with children 20 0 Establish overflow winter shelter to offer individuals when basecamp is full 21 0 Establish severe weather shelters to offer individuals who typically don't use 22 shelters when basecamp and overflow winter shelter capacity has been reached 23 0 Establish a data collection process to assist in ongoing analysis and planning 24 • Support continuation of current specialty shelters 25 • Support continuation of current tiny home villages as well as the pending village 26 contracted by City of Bellingham 27 0 Encourage local elected officials to work with Skagit and Island counties to 28 increase shelter capacity for their residents 29 • Interim housing unites for families with children as an alternative to motel stays 30 0 Establish shelter and services for people who are medically fragile 31 0 Relocation of basecamp to permanent home; and 32 33 WHEREAS, Resolution 2021-018 asked the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom 34 County to take responsibility for moving forward the recommendations of the Homeless 35 Strategies Workgroup; and 36 37 WHEREAS, on July 24, 2023, the Bellingham City Council 38 Resolution , (AB# 23783) affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are 39 a public health crisis. 40 41 AB2023-485 Page 4 of 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Whatcom County Council hereby affirms affordable housing and homelessness as a public health crisis; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Executive and/or county staff bring forward ideas for how efforts to address affordable housing and homelessness can be enhanced now; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom County and/or county staff provide a progress report to Council before the end of the year on the status of the HSW recommendations. APPROVED this day of 12023. WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL ATTEST: WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council Barry Buchanan, Health Board Chair APPROVED AS TO FORM: Karen Frakes (by email 6/7/20231 Civil Deputy Prosecutor AB2023-485 Page 5 of 5 Initiative Entity Receiving Requested Cost Estimate Prevention, Population Served Fund? Funds Expenditure Intervention, Years Treatment, or Blaine School Aftercare Rolled into Additional BH coach Three $315,000 total District school years $105,000 countywide support Training for teachers and staff on Mount Baker Three $60,000 total Prevention Teachers, staff Rolled into youth mental health first aid, school district school years $20,000/year countywide others _ _ support Mount Baker Three Prevention students Will follow Mental health assessments for $30,000 total students school district school years $10,000/year up; roll into countywide 7 .8 BH FTE at each elementary Lynden School Three $360,000 total Prevention Elementary school yes school (3) district school years $120,000/year students 1 FTE at Family Community Lynden School Three $135,000 total Prevention Students, families yes Services office district school years $45,000/year 1 Director of Mental Health; .7 Bellingham School Two school $761,985 total Prevention _ BSD students and staff yes Assistant Director of Mental district years $380,000/year Health _ 1 BH FTE at Meridian Middle Meridian School Three $450,000 total Prevention Students yes School district school years $150,000/year BH FTE in school district +partial Ferndale School $375,000 total Prevention Students yes funding for BH staff district $125,000 TBD Expand Whatcom Early learning Meridian School One-time $2,000,000 Prevention Students Follow up center to include BH services district capital needed; identify funding sources Capital for expansion of SBHC to Bellingham School One-time $427,750 Prevention/Intervent BSD students Follow up include BH district capital ion/ needed; Treatment identify Behavioral Health Fund Reserve Spend Down DRAFT 8.1.23 Initiative Entity Receiving Requested Cost Estimate Prevention, Population Served Fund? Funds Expenditure Intervention, Years Treatment, or Aftercare Provide tele-therapy for teachers, Low access school 2023-2024 $300,000 Prevention Students, teachers, school Yes students, and not enrolled young districts, agencies school year age young people not people under 19 supporting youth _ _ _ enrolled in public school All school districts Partner agencies seeking _ Yes Contract with a consultant to One-time $100,000 Prevention assess viability and needs of qualified staff school districts to bill Medicaid for mental health services Provide free trainings and All school districts, Three years $225,000 total Prevention School -associated Yes coaching support for teachers, parents, agencies $100,000/year professionals, parents parents, school administrators, serving youth youth serving organizations (Mt. Baker request too) All school districts _ One-time $50,000 Prevention Students, families Yes Contract with a consultant to conduct gap assessment of school resource centers and identify costs and funding options Assess needs, costs and resources to build and operate a school- Nooksack, Ferndale, Blaine, One-time $30,000 _ Prevention Students, families Yes based health clinic (SBHC) Lynden School districts BH support for kids and youth for TBD TBD $150,000 Prevention, Kids and youth not yes whom school is not primary Intervention enrolled in public school institution Three Prevention Yes .5 BH FTE in elementary school Nooksack school $150,000 total Elementary School district school years Three $50,000/year Students .5 BH FTE in high school Nooksack school $150,000 total _ Prevention High School Students yes district school years $50,000/year _ BH coach for teachers to respond Three $315,000 total Prevention Teachers, students _ Rolled into _ _ Blaine school to behavior/behavioral health district school years $105,000/year countywide concerns L I I support Behavioral Health Fund Reserve Spend Down DRAFT 8.1.23 BALANCE Year Account Description Beginning Fund Balance REVENUES Health Revenues - BH Sales Tax Rev Health Revenues - Grant Opioid Settlement revenues Health Revenues - ART Proviso Renewal Recovery Court Revenues Total Revenues EXPENDITURES Health Expenditures Health Expenditures - salaries/benefits Oproid Settlement priority expenses Recovery Court /Family Treatment Court Exp New Response Div expenses aooeo to 2023 (vehicle Maint & Division St. Facility Maintenance) MHSA/Mental Health Court expansion Schools Expenses Schools Systems expenses Justice Project Investments Meridian Capital Bellingham Capital Total Expenditures Fund Balance Projections Worksheet n1.3111 2020 2021 2022 I ttttt c Actuals Actuals Actuals DRAFT 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2029 Projected Projected Projected Projected Projected Projected $5,644,670 $5,739,976 $7,672,993 $7,962,059 9,163,581 7,488,345 4,923,892 2,966,854 2,089,154 $5,577,386 $6,406,189 $6,586.251 6,770,268 7,108,781 7,393,133 7,688,858 7,996,412 8,316,269 4,410,920 2,541,138 2,541,138 2,541,138 2,541,138 2,541,138 350,000 450,000 450,000 450,000 450,000 600,000 600,000 $43,175 $37,090 $61,460 $36,000 $36,000 $36,000 $36,000 $36,000 $36,000 $5,620,561 $6,443,279 $6,647,711 $11,217,088 $10,635,919 $21,020,271 $10,715,996 $11,023,550 $11,343,407 $5,017,196 $4,047,979 $5,980,813 $11,528,753 $6,562,443 $6,562,443 $6,562,443 $6,562,443 $6,562,443 3,753,999 3,832,833 2,834,157 2,883,962 2,918,313 350,000 450,000 450,000 450,000 450,000 $508,059 $462,293 $477,832 $680,704 689,191 689,191 689,191 689,191 689,191 165,080 165,080 165,080 165,080 165,080 $80,000 1,055,000 1,055,000 975,000 $130,000 600,000 $100,000 1,308,000 2,339,590 2,405,278 2,472,936 2,542,624 $5,525,255 $4,530,262 $6,358,645 $12,519,457 $14,483,713 $15,094,137 $14,081,149 $13,223,612 $13,327,651 Budget Lapse (2,503,891) (2,172,557) (1,509,414) (1,408,115) (1,322,361) (1,332,765) Expenditures After Budget Lapse 5,525,255 4,510,262 6,358,645 10,015,566 12,311,156 13,564,723 12.673,034 11,901,251 11994 886 Net 95,306 1,933,017 289,066-1,302.369 -3,847,794 -4,073,866 -3,365,153 -2,200,C62 -1,984,244 Ending Fund Balance 5,739,976 7,672,993 7,962,059 9,163,581 7,488,34S 4,923,892 2,966,854 2,089,1S4 1,437,674 Historic Budget Lapse W/Out Tnage Tri M 20.70'6 27.92% 29.60% assume WA assume 15% assume 10% assume 10% assume 10% assume 10% 2023 Kukthrevenuesmdude redmi-dwtenNrx.L/rrrv.nwW�a�- 6/29/23 C:\Users\hnnn\Appoata\LocaWicrosoft\WlndowsVNet[ache\Content.Outlook\EGMP23LY\BH Furl Balance Forecast Wwkshoist PH" Recxlae Page 1 BALANCE Year ACCOUnt Description Beginning Fund Balance REVENUES Health Revenues - BH Sales Tax Rev Health Revenues- Grant Opioid Settlement revenues Health Revenues - ART Proviso Renewal Recovery Court Revenues Total Revenues EXPENDITURES Health Expenditures Health Expenditures- salaries/benefits Opioid Settlement priority expenses Recovery Court /Family Treatment Court Exp New Response Div expenses added in 2023 (Vehicle Maint & Division St. Facility Maintenance) MHSA/Mental Health Court expansion Schools Expenses Schools Systems expenses Justice Project Investments Meridian Capital Bellingham Capital Total Expenditures Fund Balance Projections Worksheet 11)MW 2020 2021 2022 ttt tt c Actuals Actuats Actuals DRAFT 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2029 Projected Projected Projected Projected Projected Projected $5,644,670 $5,739,976 $7,672,993 $7,962,059 9,163,581 7,488,345 4,995,892 3,916,354 3,038,654 $5,577,386 $6,406,189 $6,586,251 6,770,268 7,108,781 7,393,133 7,688,858 7,996,412 8,316,269 4,410,820 2,541,138 2,541,138 2,541,138 2,541,138 2,541,138 350,000 450,000 450,000 450,000 450,000 600,000 600,000 $43,175 $37,090 $61,460 $36,000 $36,000 $36,000 $36,000 $36,OW $36,000 $5,620,561 $6,443,279 $6,647,711 $11,217,088 $10,635,919 $11,020,271 $10,715,996 $11,023,550 $11,343,407 $5,017,196 $4,047,979 $5,880,913 $11,528,753 $6,562,443 $6,562,443 $6,562,443 $6,562,443 $6,562,443 3,753,999 3,832,833 2,834,157 2,883,962 2,918,313 350,000 450,000 450,000 450,000 450,000 $508,059 $462,283 $477,832 $690,704 689,191 689,191 689,191 689,192 689,191 165,080 165,080 165,080 165,080 165,080 $80,000 1,055,000 975,000 $130,000 600,000 $100,000 1,308,000 2,339,590 2,405,279 2,472,936 2,542,624 $5,525,255 $4,510,262 $6,358,645 512,S19,457 $14,493,713 $15,014,137 $23,106,149 $13,223,612 $23,327,651 Budget Lapse (2,503,891) (2,172,557) (1,501,414) (1,310,615) (1,322,361) (1,332,765) Expenditures After Budget Lapse 5,525,2SS 4,520,262 6,358,645 10,015,566 12,312,156 13,512,723 11,795,534 11,901,251 11.994.886 Net 95,306 1,933,017 289,066-1,302,369 -3,847,794 -3,993,866 -2,390,153 -2,200,062 •1,984 244 Ending Fund Balance 5,739,976 7,672,993 7,962,059 9,163,581 7,488,345 4,995,892 3,916,354 3,038,6S4 2,387,274 Historic Budget lapse W/Out Triage Trf 8 20.70% 27.92% 29.60% assume 20% assume 15% assume 1O% assume 10% assume 10% assume 10% xosx.ra�ridudnh/rsiwWwrennria"-imitsua % 6/29/23 Ci%Users\brinn\AppOata\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCathe\Content.Outlook\EOMP23LMH Fund Balance Forecast Worksheet SHAC Rec.%isx Page 1 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE Discussion Form July 10, 2023 AGENDA ITEM: Behavioral Health Fund reserve spend down PRESENTER: Erika Lautenbach BOARD ACTION: Q Action Item Discussion FYI - Only Background: The Behavioral Health sales tax supports a range of services throughout Whatcom County, including prevention activities, jail and community -based intervention and treatment services, and housing/aftercare supports for individuals with continued behavioral health needs. The sales tax reserves are expected to reach nearly $8M by the end of 2023, in part due to higher than expected overall sales tax revenues and in part because of COVID restrictions and staffing shortages among behavioral health providers. In addition, funds were held in reserves for a to - be -determined capital project and for general operating reserves. Data from surveys and other collection tools show that youth and adults suffer from a variety of behavioral health concerns including depression, anxiety, and substance use. Youth mental health is a priority from a public health perspective in order to avoid or mitigate continued suffering and poor health over the lifecourse. The magnitude of challenges associated with youth mental health in Whatcom County is supported in recent years by data from the Healthy Youth Survey, Community Health Assessment, and COVID Health Impact Assessment. As a result, Whatcom County Health and Community Services recommends a portion of the reserves fund services supporting children and youth. The matrix attached includes options for consideration, which include the following: - Group A (blue) Systemwide/countywide assessments and supports — identified by all or most school district leadership when consulted - Group B (green) School district -specific staffing and supports — requests directly from each school district based on need - Group C (red) School district capital — requested by two school districts; more follow up is needed to determine funding level and appropriate additional funding sources Staff will go over options and recommendations at the meeting and request direction via consensus on PHAB/BHAC recommendations to the Health Board at their August 1 meeting. The preliminary options for PHAB/BHAC consideration are: nitwyarcon courvrr HEALTH ANDCOMMUNITY SERVICES 10 1. Fund Group A, fund Group B for three years, follow up on capital projects and consult PHAB/BHAC with findings 2. Fund Group A, fund Group B for two years, follow up on capital projects and consult PHAB/BHAC with findings 3. Fund Group A, fund Group B for two years, follow up in one year following more information about Group A findings and future funding needs as well as PHAB/BHAC interest in funding year three of Group B requests, follow up on capital projects and consult PHAB/BHAC with findings Board role / action requested: Reach consensus on a recommendation to the Health Board for a portion of expenditures of the Behavioral Health Fund sales tax reserves. 2. Attachment(s): Whatcom County Agenda Bill Master Report File Number: AB2023-485 File ID: AB2023-485 Version: 1 File Created: 07/20/2023 Entered by: CHalka@co.whatcom.wa.us Department: Council Office File Type: Resolution Assigned to: Council Public Works & Health Committee Agenda Date: 08/08/2023 Primary Contact Email: chalka@co.whatcom.wa.us TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM: COUNTY COURTHOUSE 311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105 Bellingham, WA 98225-4038 (360)778-5010 Status: Substitute Amended and Approved Final Action: 08/08/2023 Enactment #: RES 2023-020 Resolution affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis and requesting updates on county actions (Council acting as the Health Board) SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: Resolution affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis and requesting updates on county actions (Council acting as the Health Board) HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE FILE Date: Acting Body: Action: Sent To: 08/01/2023 Council as the Health Board REFERRED TO Council Public Works & Health COMMITTEE Committee 08/08/2023 Council Public Works & Health SUBSTITUTE Committee RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL WITH PROPOSED AMENDMENT(S) Aye: 3 Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner Nay: 0 08/08/2023 Council SUBSTITUTE APPROVED AS AMENDED Aye: 6 Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner Nay: 1 Elenbaas Whatcom County Page 1 Printed on 4/14/2025 Agenda Bill Master Report Continued (AB2023-485) Attachments: Agenda Bill Master Report, Approved Resolution 2023-020, Proposed Resolution, Substitute Resolution 8.8.2023, Substitute Resolution 8.8.2023 - tracked, Revised Substitute Resolution Following 8.8.23 PW&H clean, Revised Substitute Resolution Following 8.8.23 PW&H tracked Whatcom County Page 2 Printed on 4/14/2025 Whatcom County Agenda Bill Master Report File Number: AB2023-485 File ID: AB2023-485 Version: 1 File Created: 07/20/2023 Entered by: CHalka@co.whatcom.wa.us Department: Council Office File Type: Resolution Assigned to: Council Public Works & Health Committee Agenda Date: 08/08/2023 Primary Contact Email: chalka@co.whatcom.wa.us TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM: COUNTY COURTHOUSE 311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105 Bellingham, WA 98225-4038 (360)778-5010 Status: Substitute Amended and Approved Final Action: 08/08/2023 Enactment #: RES 2023-020 Resolution affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis and requesting updates on county actions (Council acting as the Health Board) SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: Resolution affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis and requesting updates on county actions (Council acting as the Health Board) HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE FILE Date: Acting Body: Action: Sent To: 08/01/2023 Council as the Health Board REFERRED TO Council Public Works & Health COMMITTEE Committee 08/08/2023 Council Public Works & Health SUBSTITUTE Committee RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL WITH PROPOSED AMENDMENT(S) Aye: 3 Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner Nay: 0 08/08/2023 Council SUBSTITUTE APPROVED AS AMENDED Aye: 6 Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner Nay: 1 Elenbaas Whatcom County Page 1 Printed on 8/9/2023 Agenda Bill Master Report Continued (AB2023-485) Attachments: Proposed Resolution, Substitute Resolution 8.8.2023, Substitute Resolution 8.8.2023 - tracked, Revised Substitute Resolution Following 8.8.23 PW&H clean, Revised Substitute Resolution Following 8.8.23 PW&H tracked Whatcom County Page 2 Printed on 8/9/2023 Whatcom County COUNTY COURTHOUSE 311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105 Bellingham, WA 98225-4038 (360) 778-5010 Agenda Bill Master Report File Number: AB2023-485 File ID: AB2023-485 Version: 1 Status: Substitute Amended and Approved File Created: 07/20/2023 Entered by: CHalka@co.whatcom.wa.us Department: Council Office File Type: Resolution Assigned to: Council Public Works & Health Committee Final Action: 08/08/2023 Agenda Date: 08/08/2023 Enactment #: RES 2023-020 Primary Contact Email: chalka ct co.whatcom.wa.us TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM: Resolution affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis and requesting updates on county actions (Council acting as the Health Board) SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: Resolution affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis and requesting updates on county actions (Council acting as the Health Board) HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE FILE Date: Acting Body: Action: 08/01/2023 Council as the Health Board REFERRED TO COMMITTEE Sent To: Council Public Works & Health Committee 08/08/2023 Council Public Works & Health SUBSTITUTE Committee RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL WITH PROPOSED AMENDMENT(S) Aye: 3 Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner Nay: 0 08/08/2023 Council SUBSTITUTE APPROVED AS AMENDED Aye: 6 Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner Nay: 1 Elenbaas Whatcom County Page 1 Printed on 81912023 Agenda Bill Master Report Continued (AB2023-485) Attachments: Proposed Resolution, Substitute Resolution 8.8.2023, Substitute Resolution 8.8.2023 - tracked, Revised Substitute Resolution Following 8.8.23 PW&H clean, Revised Substitute Resolution Following 8.8.23 PW&H tracked Whatcom County Page 2 Printed on 8/9/2023 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 PROPOSED BY: GALLOWAY, BUCHANAN INTRODUCTION DATE: AUGUST 8, 2023 RESOLUTION NO. 2023 - 020 AFFIRMING THAT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND HOMELESSNESS ARE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS REQUIRING SYSTEMWIDE ACTIONS AND REQUESTING UPDATES ON COUNTY ACTIONS TAKEN WHEREAS, there are many factors leading to housing instability and the most frequent hardship is lack of affordable and available housing; and WHEREAS, on November 19, 2019, the Whatcom County Council approved 'A Home for Everyone: Strategic Plan to End Homelessness in Whatcom County' (AB2019-576) ; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan's Point -In -Time count identifies the top factors leading to homelessness as housing loss, unemployment, and mental illness; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan identifies seven strategies to address homelessness: 1. A centralized point of entry 2. Rapid rehousing 3. Permanent supportive housing 4. Increase the supply of affordable housing 5. Homelessness prevention and diversion 6. Interim housing, and 7. Economic security; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Coalition to End Homelessness (WCCEH) is a consortium of public and private agencies and non -profits that collaborate to create a system of housing and services, with the goal of moving homeless families and individuals to permanent housing and self-sufficiency; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH oversees the implementation of the local Continuum of Care and makes recommendations for filling gaps in services; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH's 2023 Annual Report provides a deeper understanding of Whatcom County residents experiencing homelessness with information from the annual Point -In -Time survey and public school students and their families; and WHEREAS, the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey counted 1,059 individuals from 850 different households that were experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County on January 26, 2023; and WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, there was a 27% increase in persons experiencing homelessness and a 33% increase in households experiencing homelessness; and WHEREAS, the numbers of both individuals and households counted in 2023 are the highest reported since counting began in 2008; and WHEREAS, of the 1,059 persons counted in the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey, 1 711 slept in shelters or transitional housing facilities and 348 were unsheltered; and 2 3 WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, unsheltered individuals counted increased by 4 91% and unsheltered households increased by 110%; and 5 6 WHEREAS, over the last three years, an average of 88 households annually were 7 families with children experiencing homelessness; and 8 9 WHEREAS, homelessness among public school students increased between 2021 and 10 2022 to a total of 372 students, with notable increases in the Lynden (103%) and Nooksack 11 (250%) school Districts, likely flood related, and decreases in Blaine (-24%)and Mt. Baker 12 school districts (-130/o); and 13 14 WHEREAS, the annual Point -In -Time count is based on a limited federal definition of 15 homelessness and does not include people who have unstable access to housing; and 16 17 WHEREAS, Whatcom County Health and Community Services funds affordable 18 housing, interim housing, supportive services, and permanent supportive housing with 19 funding collected from a variety of sources; and 20 21 WHEREAS, with federal pandemic relief funding and programs ceasing, Whatcom 22 County is expecting a funding and services cliff that will result in increased housing insecurity 23 and homelessness; and 24 25 WHEREAS, there is a continued shortage of workforce able to meet the housing and 26 behavioral health needs that continue to increase in the community; and 27 28 WHEREAS, Whatcom County has several local funding sources dedicated to housing 29 and homelessness that can help leverage state and federal funding, but current funding levels 30 are insufficient and cannot keep pace with the increasing community need; and 31 32 WHEREAS, the Whatcom County government works with State Legislators, the seven 33 cities within Whatcom County, Port of Bellingham, and many for -profit and non-profit 34 community partners to address housing availability and homelessness issues; and 35 36 WHEREAS, according to the US Census, the Whatcom County median household 37 income in 2021 (1-year estimate) was $72,055 and according to Northwest_ Multiple Listing 38 Service the median sale price of a home in Whatcom County in June 2022 was $610,000; and 39 40 WHEREAS, Washington State acknowledges the state faces a significant shortage of 41 available housing, needing 1 million additional homes by 2044 and resulting in pressure on 42 median home prices, which increased nearly 14% from 2021-2022; and 43 44 WHEREAS, the state of Washington has allocated more than $2.4 billion toward a 45 wide range of efforts to reduce homelessness and address the state's housing shortage; and 46 47 WHEREAS, according the Association of Washington Housing Authorities, only 26% 48 of Washington families in need of public housing are served, and families wait on average 49 3.5 years to be accepted into public housing; and 50 51 WHEREAS, According to the American Public Health Association, ending homelessness 52 is a public health issue, as those experiencing homelessness have high rates of chronic mental 53 and physical health conditions, co-occurring disorders, and barriers to care; and 54 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 WHEREAS, the Homeless Strategies Workgroup (HSW) was created by Council Resolution 2017-055 and reconvened in 2019 (Resolution 2019-034) to identify: 1. Additional temporary winter shelters, 2. Added capacity for year-round shelters, 3. Additional opportunities to address the needs of the county' s homeless population, and 4. Strategies to prevent people from having no other option than to sleep outside; and WHEREAS, On May 4, 2021, the Whatcom County Council approved Resolution 2021- 018, receiving the HSW's recommendations., which included: • Provide motel stays for families with children • Establish overflow winter shelter to offer individuals when basecamp is full • Establish severe weather shelters to offer individuals who typically don't use shelters when basecamp and overflow winter shelter capacity has been reached • Establish a data collection process to assist in ongoing analysis and planning • Support continuation of current specialty shelters • Support continuation of current tiny home villages as well as the pending village contracted by City of Bellingham • Encourage local elected officials to work with Skagit and Island counties to increase shelter capacity for their residents • Interim housing unites for families with children as an alternative to motel stays • Establish shelter and services for people who are medically fragile • Relocation of basecamp to permanent home; and WHEREAS, Resolution 2021-018 asked the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom County to take responsibility for moving forward the recommendations of the Homeless Strategies Workgroup; and WHEREAS, on January 10, 2023, the Whatcom County Business and Commerce Advisory Committee (WCBCC) transmitted their proposal to increase access to housing for all income levels, which included recommendations to: • Reduce the complexity and the cost of compliance of code. • Prioritize density in existing city boundaries and urban growth areas while supporting limited annexations. • Provide incentives for permanently affordable home ownership and rentals for occupants whose incomes range from 50% to 150% of area median income WHEREAS, the WCBCC recommendations included specific budget requests, changes to land use code, improvements to building permit processes, increased coordination with Planning & Development Services staff, suggestions for the housing element in the upcoming 2025 Comprehensive Plan, and advocacy for state legislation; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council recognizes the challenges for those experiencing the co -occurrence of homelessness, mental health, and substance use disorder, and seeks to support targeted strategies and investments to address these challenges in a human centered way; and WHEREAS, on July 24, 2023, the Bellingham City Council approved Resolution #2023- 19, (AB# 23783) affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Whatcom County Council hereby affirms housing affordability and homelessness as a public health crisis; and 1 2 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the 3 Executive and county staff from all relevant departments take a more holistic, system -wide 4 approach to addressing homelessness and housing affordability and availability at all income 5 levels, and bring forward ideas for how the County can take more proactive, effective, and 6 decisive action. Examples may include, but are not limited to: 7 • exploring additional local, state, and federal funding sources dedicated to housing 8 and homelessness, 9 • developing a gap analysis, 10 • addressing regulatory barriers, 11 . considering the feasibility of a county land bank and/or land trust, 12 • pursuing housing and shelter projects on county owned lands, 13 • developing an emergency plan for climate change related response impacting those 14 who are unhoused, 15 • providing technical assistance and training to those working on housing and 16 homelessness issues in the community to support planning, housing, and 17 emergency response related needs, 18 • working with legal and finance departments to build capacity of partner agencies 19 to help meet the increased demand for services, 20 • exploring increased rental safety standards that includes expanding inspections 21 and testing for materials harmful to human health, and 22 • working with the City of Bellingham on providing safe parking and adequate 23 sheltering in compliance with Martin v. Boise; and 24 25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Whatcom County increase its coordination, 26 collaboration, and advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels to prioritize addressing the 27 housing affordability and homelessness crisis; and 28 29 BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Housing 30 Advisory Committee of Whatcom County and/or county staff provide a progress report to 31 Council before,th.nd of the year on the status of the HSW recommendations. 32:�, 33 pip"tfi '�t�h day of August , 2023. 34 35 !� .'.� ' " WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL 36 ATTE*� J� WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON 37 38 = • a' a 39 ° 40 Dank 94rown,D? Tt rrk of the Council Barry chanan, Health Board Chair 41 42 43 APPROVED AS TO FORM: 44 45 46 _Karen Frakes (by email 8/8/2023) 47 Civil Deputy Prosecutor 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 PROPOSED BY: GALLOWAY, BUCHANAN INTRODUCTION DATE: AUGUST 1, 2023 RESOLUTION NO. AFFIRMING THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS ARE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AND REQUESTING UPDATES ON COUNTY ACTIONS WHEREAS, there are many factors leading to housing instability and the most frequent hardship is lack of affordable and available housing; and WHEREAS, on November 19, 2019, the Whatcom County Council approved 'A Home for Everyone: Strategic Plan to End Homelessness in Whatcom County' (AB2019-576) ; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan's Point -In -Time count identifies the top factors leading to homelessness as housing loss, unemployment, and mental illness; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan identifies seven strategies to address homelessness: 1. A centralized point of entry 2. Rapid rehousing 3. Permanent supportive housing 4. Increase the supply of affordable housing 5. Homelessness prevention and diversion 6. Interim housing, and 7. Economic security; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Coalition to End Homelessness (WCCEH) is a consortium of public and private agencies and non -profits that collaborate to create a system of housing and services, with the goal of moving homeless families and individuals to permanent housing and self-sufficiency; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH oversees the implementation of the local Continuum of Care and makes recommendations for filling gaps in services; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH's 2023 Annual Report provides a deeper understanding of Whatcom County residents experiencing homelessness with information from the annual Point -In -Time survey and public school students and their families; and WHEREAS, the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey counted 1,059 individuals from 850 different households that were experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County on January 26, 2023 ; and AB2023-485 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, there was a 27% increase in persons experiencing homelessness and a 33% increase in households experiencing homelessness; and WHEREAS, the numbers of both individuals and households counted in 2023 are the highest reported since counting began in 2008; and WHEREAS, of the 1,059 persons counted in the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey, 711 slept in shelters or transitional housing facilities and 348 were unsheltered; and WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, unsheltered individuals counted increased by 91% and unsheltered households increased by 110%; and WHEREAS, over the last three years, an average of 88 households annually participated in the motel stays program for families with children; and WHEREAS, homelessness among public school students increased between 2021 and 2022 to a total of 372 students, with notable increases in the Lynden (103%) and Nooksack (250%) school Districts, likely flood related, and decreases in Blaine (-24%)and Mt. Baker school districts (-13%); and WHEREAS, the annual Point -In -Time count is based on a limited federal definition of homelessness and does not include people who have unstable access to housing; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Health and Community Services Department funds affordable housing, interim housing, supportive services, and permanent supportive housing with funding collected from a variety of sources ; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County specific funding sources include document recording fees, Consolidated Homeless Grant, Housing and Essential Needs Grant, Veterans Millage, Behavioral Health Sales Tax and Mental Health Millage, totaling 26% (2019) of total community investments; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County works with community partners to address homelessness, and in 2019 the County's share was approximately 26% with additional community investments from the City of Bellingham (26%), Housing Authority and other federal funding (21%), and private contributions (26%); and WHEREAS, according to the US Census, the Whatcom County median household income in 2021 (1-year estimate) was $72,055 and according to Redfin.com the median sale price of a home in Whatcom County in June 2023 was $605,000; and WHEREAS, Washington State acknowledges the state faces a significant shortage of housing, needing 1 million additional homes by 2044 and resulting in pressure on median home prices, which increased nearly 14% from 2021-2022; and WHEREAS, the state of Washington has allocated more than $2.4 billion toward a wide range of efforts to reduce homelessness and address the state's housing shortage; and AB2023-485 I WHEREAS, according the Association of Washington Housing Authorities, only 26% 2 of Washington families in need of public housing are served, and families wait on average 3 3.5 years to be accepted into public housing; and 4 5 WHEREAS, According to the American Public Health Association, ending homelessness 6 is a public health issue, as those experiencing homelessness have high rates of chronic mental 7 and physical health conditions, co-occurring disorders, and barriers to care; and 8 9 WHEREAS, the Homeless Strategies Workgroup (HSW) was created by Council 10 Resolution 2017-055 and reconvened in 2019 (Resolution 2019-034) to identify: 11 1. Additional temporary winter shelters, 12 2. Added capacity for year-round shelters, 13 3. Additional opportunities to address the needs of the county' s homeless population, 14 and 15 4. Strategies to prevent people from having no other option than to sleep outside; and 16 17 WHEREAS, On May 4, 2021, the Whatcom County Council approved Resolution 2021- 18 018, receiving the HSW's recommendations, which included: 19 0 Provide motel stays for families with children 20 0 Establish overflow winter shelter to offer individuals when basecamp is full 21 0 Establish severe weather shelters to offer individuals who typically don't use 22 shelters when basecamp and overflow winter shelter capacity has been reached 23 0 Establish a data collection process to assist in ongoing analysis and planning 24 • Support continuation of current specialty shelters 25 • Support continuation of current tiny home villages as well as the pending village 26 contracted by City of Bellingham 27 0 Encourage local elected officials to work with Skagit and Island counties to 28 increase shelter capacity for their residents 29 • Interim housing unites for families with children as an alternative to motel stays 30 0 Establish shelter and services for people who are medically fragile 31 0 Relocation of basecamp to permanent home; and 32 33 WHEREAS, Resolution 2021-018 asked the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom 34 County to take responsibility for moving forward the recommendations of the Homeless 35 Strategies Workgroup; and 36 37 WHEREAS, on July 24, 2023, the Bellingham City Council 38 Resolution , (AB# 23783) affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are 39 a public health crisis. 40 41 AB2023-485 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Whatcom County Council hereby affirms affordable housing and homelessness as a public health crisis; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Executive and/or county staff bring forward ideas for how efforts to address affordable housing and homelessness can be enhanced now; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom County and/or county staff provide a progress report to Council before the end of the year on the status of the HSW recommendations. APPROVED this day of 12023. WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL ATTEST: WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council Barry Buchanan, Health Board Chair APPROVED AS TO FORM: Karen Frakes (by email 6/7/20231 Civil Deputy Prosecutor AB2023-485 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 PROPOSED BY: GALLOWAY, BUCHANAN INTRODUCTION DATE: AUGUST 8, 2023 RESOLUTION NO. AFFIRMING THAT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND HOMELESSNESS ARE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS REQUIRING SYSTEMWIDE ACTIONS AND REQUESTING UPDATES ON COUNTY ACTIONS TAKEN WHEREAS, there are many factors leading to housing instability and the most frequent hardship is lack of affordable and available housing; and WHEREAS, on November 19, 2019, the Whatcom County Council approved 'A Home for Everyone: Strategic Plan to End Homelessness in Whatcom County' (AB2019-576) ; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan's Point -In -Time count identifies the top factors leading to homelessness as housing loss, unemployment, and mental illness; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan identifies seven strategies to address homelessness: 1. A centralized point of entry 2. Rapid rehousing 3. Permanent supportive housing 4. Increase the supply of affordable housing 5. Homelessness prevention and diversion 6. Interim housing, and 7. Economic security; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Coalition to End Homelessness (WCCEH) is a consortium of public and private agencies and non -profits that collaborate to create a system of housing and services, with the goal of moving homeless families and individuals to permanent housing and self-sufficiency; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH oversees the implementation of the local Continuum of Care and makes recommendations for filling gaps in services; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH's 2023 Annual Report provides a deeper understanding of Whatcom County residents experiencing homelessness with information from the annual Point -In -Time survey and public school students and their families; and WHEREAS, the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey counted 1,059 individuals from 850 different households that were experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County on January 26, 2023 ; and WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, there was a 27% increase in persons experiencing homelessness and a 33% increase in households experiencing homelessness; and WHEREAS, the numbers of both individuals and households counted in 2023 are the highest reported since counting began in 2008; and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 WHEREAS, of the 1,059 persons counted in the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey, 711 slept in shelters or transitional housing facilities and 348 were unsheltered; and WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, unsheltered individuals counted increased by 91% and unsheltered households increased by 110%; and WHEREAS, over the last three years, an average of 88 households annually were families with children experiencing homelessness; and WHEREAS, homelessness among public school students increased between 2021 and 2022 to a total of 372 students, with notable increases in the Lynden (103%) and Nooksack (250%) school Districts, likely flood related, and decreases in Blaine (-24%)and Mt. Baker school districts (-13%); and WHEREAS, the annual Point -In -Time count is based on a limited federal definition of homelessness and does not include people who have unstable access to housing; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County Health and Community Services funds affordable housing, interim housing, supportive services, and permanent supportive housing with funding collected from a variety of sources; and WHEREAS, with federal pandemic relief funding and programs ceasing, Whatcom County is expecting a funding and services cliff that will result increased housing insecurity and homelessness; and WHEREAS, there is a continued shortage of workforce able to meet the housing and behavioral health needs that continue to increase in the community; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County has several local funding sources dedicated to housing and homelessness that can help leverage state and federal funding, but current funding levels are insufficient and cannot keep pace with the increasing community need; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County government works with State Legislators, the seven cities within Whatcom County, Port of Bellingham, and many for -profit and non-profit community partners to address housing availability and homelessness issues; and WHEREAS, according to the US Census, the Whatcom County median household income in 2021 (1-year estimate) was $72,055 and according to Northwest Multiple Listing Service the median sale price of a home in Whatcom County in June 2023 was $610,000; and WHEREAS, Washington State acknowledges the state faces a significant shortage of available housing, needing 1 million additional homes by 2044 and resulting in pressure on median home prices, which increased nearly 14% from 2021-2022; and WHEREAS, the state of Washington has allocated more than $2.4 billion toward a wide range of efforts to reduce homelessness and address the state's housing shortage; and WHEREAS, according the Association of Washington Housing Authorities, only 26% of Washington families in need of public housing are served, and families wait on average 3.5 years to be accepted into public housing; and WHEREAS, According to the American Public Health Association, ending homelessness is a public health issue, as those experiencing homelessness have high rates of chronic mental and physical health conditions, co-occurring disorders, and barriers to care; and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 WHEREAS, the Homeless Strategies Workgroup (HSW) was created by Council Resolution 2017-055 and reconvened in 2019 (Resolution 2019-034) to identify: 1. Additional temporary winter shelters, 2. Added capacity for year-round shelters, 3. Additional opportunities to address the needs of the county' s homeless population, and 4. Strategies to prevent people from having no other option than to sleep outside; and WHEREAS, On May 4, 2021, the Whatcom County Council approved Resolution 2021- 018, receiving the HSW's recommendations, which included: • Provide motel stays for families with children • Establish overflow winter shelter to offer individuals when basecamp is full • Establish severe weather shelters to offer individuals who typically don't use shelters when basecamp and overflow winter shelter capacity has been reached • Establish a data collection process to assist in ongoing analysis and planning • Support continuation of current specialty shelters • Support continuation of current tiny home villages as well as the pending village contracted by City of Bellingham • Encourage local elected officials to work with Skagit and Island counties to increase shelter capacity for their residents • Interim housing unites for families with children as an alternative to motel stays • Establish shelter and services for people who are medically fragile • Relocation of basecamp to permanent home; and WHEREAS, Resolution 2021-018 asked the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom County to take responsibility for moving forward the recommendations of the Homeless Strategies Workgroup; and WHEREAS, on January 10, 2023, the Whatcom County Business and Commerce Advisory Committee (WCBCC) transmitted their proposal to increase access to housing for all income levels, which included recommendations to: • Reduce the complexity and the cost of compliance of code. • Prioritize density in existing city boundaries and urban growth areas while supporting limited annexations. • Provide incentives for permanently affordable home ownership and rentals for occupants whose incomes range from 50% to 150% of area median income WHEREAS, the WCBCC recommendations included specific budget requests, changes to land use code, improvements to building permit processes, increased coordination with Planning & Development Services staff, suggestions for the housing element in the upcoming 2025 Comprehensive Plan, and advocacy for state legislation; and WHEREAS, on July 24, 2023, the Bellingham City Council approved Resolution , (AB# 23783) affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Whatcom County Council hereby affirms housing affordability and homelessness as a public health crisis; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Executive and county staff from all relevant departments take a more holistic, system -wide approach to addressing homelessness and housing affordability and availability at all income 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 levels, and bring forward ideas for how the County can take more proactive, effective, and decisive action. Examples may include, but are not limited to: • exploring additional local, state, and federal funding sources dedicated to housing and homelessness, • developing a gap analysis, • addressing regulatory barriers, • considering the feasibility of a county land bank and/or land trust, • pursuing housing and shelter projects on county owned lands, • developing an emergency plan for climate change related response impacting those who are unhoused, • providing technical assistance and training to those working on housing and homelessness issues in the community to support planning, housing, and emergency response related needs, • working with legal and finance departments to build capacity of partner agencies to help meet the increased demand for services, • exploring increased rental safety standards that includes expanding inspections and testing for materials harmful to human health, and • working with the City of Bellingham on providing safe parking and adequate sheltering in compliance with Martin v. Boise; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Whatcom County increase its coordination, collaboration, and advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels to prioritize addressing the housing affordability and homelessness crisis; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom County and/or county staff provide a progress report to Council before the end of the year on the status of the HSW recommendations. APPROVED this day of , 2023. WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL ATTEST: WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council APPROVED AS TO FORM: Karen Frakes (by email 8/4/20231 Civil Deputy Prosecutor Barry Buchanan, Health Board Chair 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 PROPOSED BY: GALLOWAY, BUCHANAN INTRODUCTION DATE: AUGUST 4-8, 2023 RESOLUTION NO. AFFIRMING THAT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND HOMELESSNESS ARE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS REQUIRING SYSTEMWIDE ACTIONS AND REQUESTING UPDATES ON COUNTY ACTIONS TAKEN WHEREAS, there are many factors leading to housing instability and the most frequent hardship is lack of affordable and available housing; and WHEREAS, on November 19, 2019, the Whatcom County Council approved 'A Home for Everyone: Strategic Plan to End Homelessness in Whatcom County' (AB2019-576) ; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan's Point -In -Time count identifies the top factors leading to homelessness as housing loss, unemployment, and mental illness; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan identifies seven 1. A centralized point of entry 2. Rapid rehousing 3. Permanent supportive housing 4. Increase the supply of affordable housing 5. Homelessness prevention and diversion 6. Interim housing, and 7. Economic security; and strategies to address homelessness: WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Coalition to End Homelessness (WCCEH) is a consortium of public and private agencies and non -profits that collaborate to create a system of housing and services, with the goal of moving homeless families and individuals to permanent housing and self-sufficiency; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH oversees the implementation of the local Continuum of Care and makes recommendations for filling gaps in services; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH's 2023 Annual Report provides a deeper understanding of Whatcom County residents experiencing homelessness with information from the annual Point -In -Time survey and public school students and their families; and WHEREAS, the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey counted 1,059 individuals from 850 different households that were experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County on January 26, 2023 ; and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, there was a 27% increase in persons experiencing homelessness and a 33% increase in households experiencing homelessness; and WHEREAS, the numbers of both individuals and households counted in 2023 are the highest reported since counting began in 2008; and WHEREAS, of the 1,059 persons counted in the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey, 711 slept in shelters or transitional housing facilities and 348 were unsheltered; and WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, unsheltered individuals counted increased by 91% and unsheltered households increased by 110%; and WHEREAS, over the last three years, an average of 88 households annually were families with children experiencing homelessness; and WHEREAS, homelessness among public school students increased between 2021 and 2022 to a total of 372 students, with notable increases in the Lynden (103%) and Nooksack (250%) school Districts, likely flood related, and decreases in Blaine (-24%)and Mt. Baker school districts (-13%); and WHEREAS, the annual Point -In -Time count is based on a limited federal definition of homelessness and does not include people who have unstable access to housing; and WHEREAS, thia-Whatcom County Health and Community Services DepaFtment funds affordable housing, interim housing, supportive services, and permanent supportive housing with funding collected from a variety of sources-; and WHEREAS, with federal pandemic relief funding and programs ceasing, Whatcom County GFant, HeHsing and Essential Needs GFant, VeteFans Millage, Behavieral Health Sales Tax is expecting a funding and services cliff that will result increased housing insecurity and homelessness; and WHEREAS, there is a continued shortage of tetalworkforce able to meet the housing and behavioral health needs that continue to increase in the community ; ,_, �, , }�; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County has several local funding sources dedicated to housing and homelessness that can help leverage state and federal funding, but current funding levels are insufficient and cannot keep pace with the increasing community need; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County government works with State Legislators, the seven cities within Whatcom County. Port of Bellinaham, and manv for-Drofit and non-profit community partners to address hengelessness, and On 2019 the Geunty's approximately 26% with additional cengmunity investments fFOR9 the Gity ef Bellinghan-i ate -housing availability and homelessness issues; and WHEREAS, according to the US Census, the Whatcom County median household income in 2021 (1-year estimate) was $72,055 and according to Redfin.eeng.Northwest Multiple Listing Service the median sale price of a home in Whatcom County in June 2023 was $6&5610,000; and I WHEREAS, Washington State acknowledges the state faces a significant shortage of 2 available housing, needing 1 million additional homes by 2044 and resulting in pressure on 3 median home prices, which increased nearly 14% from 2021-2022; and 4 5 WHEREAS, the state of Washington has allocated more than $2.4 billion toward a 6 wide range of efforts to reduce homelessness and address the state's housing shortage; and 7 8 I WHEREAS, according the Association of Washington Housing Authorities, only 26% 2 of Washington families in need of public housing are served, and families wait on average 3 3.5 years to be accepted into public housing; and 4 5 WHEREAS, According to the American Public Health Association, ending homelessness 6 is a public health issue, as those experiencing homelessness have high rates of chronic mental 7 and physical health conditions, co-occurring disorders, and barriers to care; and 8 9 WHEREAS, the Homeless Strategies Workgroup (HSW) was created by Council 10 Resolution 2017-055 and reconvened in 2019 (Resolution 2019-034) to identify: 11 1_4.-.-Additional temporary winter shelters, 12 2_2—.Added capacity for year-round shelters, 13 Additional opportunities to address the needs of the county' s homeless population, 14 3. and 15 4�.-Strategies to prevent people from having no other option than to sleep outside; 16 and 17 18 WHEREAS, On May 4, 2021, the Whatcom County Council approved Resolution 2021- 19 018, receiving the HSW's recommendations, which included: 20 0 Provide motel stays for families with children 21 0 Establish overflow winter shelter to offer individuals when basecamp is full 22 0 Establish severe weather shelters to offer individuals who typically don't use 23 shelters when basecamp and overflow winter shelter capacity has been reached 24 0 Establish a data collection process to assist in ongoing analysis and planning 25 • Support continuation of current specialty shelters 26 • Support continuation of current tiny home villages as well as the pending village 27 contracted by City of Bellingham 28 0 Encourage local elected officials to work with Skagit and Island counties to increase 29 shelter capacity for their residents 30 • Interim housing unites for families with children as an alternative to motel stays 31 0 Establish shelter and services for people who are medically fragile 32 0 Relocation of basecamp to permanent home; and 33 34 WHEREAS, Resolution 2021-018 asked the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom 35 County to take responsibility for moving forward the recommendations of the Homeless 36 Strategies Workgroup; and 37 38 WHEREAS, on January 10, 2023, the Whatcom County Business and Commerce 39 Advisory Committee (WCBCC) transmitted their proposal to increase access to housing for all 40 income levels, which included recommendations to: 41 0 Reduce the complexity and the cost of compliance of code. 42 0 Prioritize density in existing city boundaries and urban growth areas while 43 supporting limited annexations. 44 9 Provide incentives for permanently affordable home ownership and rentals for 45 occupants whose incomes range from 50% to 150% of area median income 46 47 WHEREAS, the WCBCC recommendations included specific budget requests, changes 48 to land use code, improvements to building permit processes, increased coordination with 49 Planning & Development Services staff, suggestions for the housing element in the upcoming 50 2025 Comprehensive Plan, and advocacy for state legislation; and 51 52 WHEREAS, on July 24, 2023, the Bellingham City Council 53 Reselut+ ,approved Resolution , (AB# 23783) affirming that 54 affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis. nQ2m�ro23_T4oc 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Whatcom County Council hereby affirms affordable housing affordability and homelessness as a public health crisis; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Executive and heusing and homelessness ean be enhaneed new; county staff from all relevant departments take a more holistic, system -wide approach to addressing homelessness and housing affordability and availability at all income levels, and bring forward ideas for how the County can take more proactive, effective, and decisive action. Examples may include, but are not limited to: • exploring additional local, state, and federal funding sources dedicated to housing and homelessness, • developing a gap analysis, • addressing regulatory barriers, • considering the feasibility of a county land bank and/or land trust, • pursuing housing and shelter projects on county owned lands, • developing an emergency plan for climate change related response impacting those who are unhoused, • providing technical assistance and training to those working on housing and homelessness issues in the community to support planning, housing, and emergency response related needs, • working with legal and finance departments to build capacity of partner agencies to help meet the increased demand for services, • exploring increased rental safety standards that includes expanding inspections and testing for materials harmful to human health, and • working with the City of Bellingham on providing safe parking and adequate sheltering in compliance with Martin v. Boise; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Whatcom County increase its coordination, collaboration, and advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels to prioritize addressing the housing affordability and homelessness crisis; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom County and/or county staff provide a progress report to Council before the end of the year on the status of the HSW recommendations. APPROVED this day of ATTEST: Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council APPROVED AS TO FORM: Karen Frakes (by email 6�78/4/2023) Civil Deputy Prosecutor 2023. WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Barry Buchanan, Health Board Chair 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 PROPOSED BY: GALLOWAY, BUCHANAN INTRODUCTION DATE: AUGUST 8. 2023 RESOLUTION NO. AFFIRMING THAT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND HOMELESSNESS ARE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS REQUIRING SYSTEMWIDE ACTIONS AND REQUESTING UPDATES ON COUNTY ACTIONS TAKEN WHEREAS, there are many factors leading to housing instability and the most frequent hardship is lack of affordable and available housing; and WHEREAS, on November 19, 2019, the Whatcom County Council approved 'A Home for Everyone: Strategic Plan to End Homelessness in Whatcom County' (AB2019-576) ; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan's Point -In -Time count identifies the top factors leading to homelessness as housing loss, unemployment, and mental illness; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan identifies seven strategies to address homelessness: 1. A centralized point of entry 2. Rapid rehousing 3. Permanent supportive housing 4. Increase the supply of affordable housing 5. Homelessness prevention and diversion 6. Interim housing, and 7. Economic security; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Coalition to End Homelessness (WCCEH) is a consortium of public and private agencies and non -profits that collaborate to create a system of housing and services, with the goal of moving homeless families and individuals to permanent housing and self-sufficiency; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH oversees the implementation of the local Continuum of Care and makes recommendations for filling gaps in services; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH's 2023 Annual Report provides a deeper understanding of Whatcom County residents experiencing homelessness with information from the annual Point -In -Time survey and public school students and their families; and WHEREAS, the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey counted 1,059 individuals from 850 different households that were experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County on January 26, 2023; and WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, there was a 27% increase in persons experiencing homelessness and a 33% increase in households experiencing homelessness; and WHEREAS, the numbers of both individuals and households counted in 2023 are the highest reported since counting began in 2008; and WHEREAS, of the 1,059 persons counted in the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 711 slept in shelters or transitional housing facilities and 348 were unsheltered; and WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, unsheltered individuals counted increased by 91% and unsheltered households increased by 110%; and WHEREAS, over the last three years, an average of 88 households annually were families with children experiencing homelessness; and WHEREAS, homelessness among public school students increased between 2021 and 2022 to a total of 372 students, with notable increases in the Lynden (103%) and Nooksack (250%) school Districts, likely flood related, and decreases in Blaine (-24%)and Mt. Baker school districts (-130/o); and WHEREAS, the annual Point -In -Time count is based on a limited federal definition of homelessness and does not include people who have unstable access to housing; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County Health and Community Services funds affordable housing, interim housing, supportive services, and permanent supportive housing with funding collected from a variety of sources; and WHEREAS, with federal pandemic relief funding and programs ceasing, Whatcom County is expecting a funding and services cliff that will result in increased housing insecurity and homelessness; and WHEREAS, there is a continued shortage of workforce able to meet the housing and behavioral health needs that continue to increase in the community; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County has several local funding sources dedicated to housing and homelessness that can help leverage state and federal funding, but current funding levels are insufficient and cannot keep pace with the increasing community need; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County government works with State Legislators, the seven cities within Whatcom County, Port of Bellingham, and many for -profit and non-profit community partners to address housing availability and homelessness issues; and WHEREAS, according to the US Census, the Whatcom County median household income in 2021 (1-year estimate) was $72,055 and according to Northwest Multiple Listing Service the median sale price of a home in Whatcom County in June 2022 was $610,000; and WHEREAS, Washington State acknowledges the state faces a significant shortage of available housing, needing 1 million additional homes by 2044 and resulting in pressure on median home prices, which increased nearly 14% from 2021-2022; and WHEREAS, the state of Washington has allocated more than $2.4 billion toward a wide range of efforts to reduce homelessness and address the state's housing shortage; and WHEREAS, according the Association of Washington Housing Authorities, only 26% of Washington families in need of public housing are served, and families wait on average 3.5 years to be accepted into public housing; and WHEREAS, According to the American Public Health Association, ending homelessness is a public health issue, as those experiencing homelessness have high rates of chronic mental and physical health conditions, co-occurring disorders, and barriers to care; and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 WHEREAS, the Homeless Strategies Workgroup (HSW) was created by Council Resolution 2017-055 and reconvened in 2019 (Resolution 2019-034) to identify: 1. Additional temporary winter shelters, 2. Added capacity for year-round shelters, 3. Additional opportunities to address the needs of the county' s homeless population, and 4. Strategies to prevent people from having no other option than to sleep outside; and WHEREAS, On May 4, 2021, the Whatcom County Council approved Resolution 2021- 018, receiving the HSW's recommendations, which included: • Provide motel stays for families with children • Establish overflow winter shelter to offer individuals when basecamp is full • Establish severe weather shelters to offer individuals who typically don't use shelters when basecamp and overflow winter shelter capacity has been reached • Establish a data collection process to assist in ongoing analysis and planning • Support continuation of current specialty shelters • Support continuation of current tiny home villages as well as the pending village contracted by City of Bellingham • Encourage local elected officials to work with Skagit and Island counties to increase shelter capacity for their residents • Interim housing unites for families with children as an alternative to motel stays • Establish shelter and services for people who are medically fragile • Relocation of basecamp to permanent home; and WHEREAS, Resolution 2021-018 asked the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom County to take responsibility for moving forward the recommendations of the Homeless Strategies Workgroup; and WHEREAS, on January 10, 2023, the Whatcom County Business and Commerce Advisory Committee (WCBCC) transmitted their proposal to increase access to housing for all income levels, which included recommendations to: • Reduce the complexity and the cost of compliance of code. • Prioritize density in existing city boundaries and urban growth areas while supporting limited annexations. • Provide incentives for permanently affordable home ownership and rentals for occupants whose incomes range from 50% to 150% of area median income WHEREAS, the WCBCC recommendations included specific budget requests, changes to land use code, improvements to building permit processes, increased coordination with Planning & Development Services staff, suggestions for the housing element in the upcoming 2025 Comprehensive Plan, and advocacy for state legislation; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council recognizes the challenges for those experiencing the co -occurrence of homelessness, mental health, and substance use disorder, and seeks to support targeted strategies and investments to address these challenges in a human centered way; and WHEREAS, on July 24, 2023, the Bellingham City Council approved Resolution #2023- 19, (AB# 23783) affirming that affordable housing and homelessness are a public health crisis. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Whatcom County Council hereby affirms housing affordability and homelessness as a public health crisis; and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Executive and county staff from all relevant departments take a more holistic, system -wide approach to addressing homelessness and housing affordability and availability at all income levels, and bring forward ideas for how the County can take more proactive, effective, and decisive action. Examples may include, but are not limited to: • exploring additional local, state, and federal funding sources dedicated to housing and homelessness, • developing a gap analysis, • addressing regulatory barriers, • considering the feasibility of a county land bank and/or land trust, • pursuing housing and shelter projects on county owned lands, • developing an emergency plan for climate change related response impacting those who are unhoused, • providing technical assistance and training to those working on housing and homelessness issues in the community to support planning, housing, and emergency response related needs, • working with legal and finance departments to build capacity of partner agencies to help meet the increased demand for services, • exploring increased rental safety standards that includes expanding inspections and testing for materials harmful to human health, and • working with the City of Bellingham on providing safe parking and adequate sheltering in compliance with Martin v. Boise; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Whatcom County increase its coordination, collaboration, and advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels to prioritize addressing the housing affordability and homelessness crisis; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom County and/or county staff provide a progress report to Council before the end of the year on the status of the HSW recommendations. APPROVED this day of 12023. WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL ATTEST: WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council Barry Buchanan, Health Board Chair APPROVED AS TO FORM: _Karen Frakes (by email 8/4/2023) Civil Deputy Prosecutor 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 PROPOSED BY: GALLOWAY, BUCHANAN INTRODUCTION DATE: AUGUST 81, 2023 RESOLUTION NO. AFFIRMING THAT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND HOMELESSNESS ARE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS REQUIRING SYSTEMWIDE ACTIONS AND REQUESTING UPDATES ON COUNTY ACTIONS TAKEN WHEREAS, there are many factors leading to housing instability and the most frequent hardship is lack of affordable and available housing; and WHEREAS, on November 19, 2019, the Whatcom County Council approved 'A Home for Everyone: Strategic Plan to End Homelessness in Whatcom County' (AB2019-576) ; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan's Point -In -Time count identifies the top factors leading to homelessness as housing loss, unemployment, and mental illness; and WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan identifies seven strategies to address homelessness: 1. A centralized point of entry 2. Rapid rehousing 3. Permanent supportive housing 4. Increase the supply of affordable housing 5. Homelessness prevention and diversion 6. Interim housing, and 7. Economic security; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Coalition to End Homelessness (WCCEH) is a consortium of public and private agencies and non -profits that collaborate to create a system of housing and services, with the goal of moving homeless families and individuals to permanent housing and self-sufficiency; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH oversees the implementation of the local Continuum of Care and makes recommendations for filling gaps in services; and WHEREAS, the WCCEH's 2023 Annual Report provides a deeper understanding of Whatcom County residents experiencing homelessness with information from the annual Point -In -Time survey and public school students and their families; and WHEREAS, the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey counted 1,059 individuals from 850 different households that were experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County on January 26, 2023-; and WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, there was a 27% increase in persons experiencing homelessness and a 33% increase in households experiencing homelessness; and WHEREAS, the numbers of both individuals and households counted in 2023 are the highest reported since counting began in 2008; and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 WHEREAS, of the 1,059 persons counted in the 2023 annual Point -In -Time survey, 711 slept in shelters or transitional housing facilities and 348 were unsheltered; and WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2023, unsheltered individuals counted increased by 91% and unsheltered households increased by 110%; and WHEREAS, over the last three years, an average of 88 households annually paFtiempated On the ngetel stays program were families with children experiencing homelessness; and WHEREAS, homelessness among public school students increased between 2021 and 2022 to a total of 372 students, with notable increases in the Lynden (103%) and Nooksack (250%) school Districts, likely flood related, and decreases in Blaine (-24%)and Mt. Baker school districts (-130/o); and WHEREAS, the annual Point -In -Time count is based on a limited federal definition of homelessness and does not include people who have unstable access to housing; and WHEREAS, the-Whatcom County Health and Community Services funds affordable housing, interim housing, supportive services, and permanent supportive housing with funding collected from a variety of sources; and WHEREAS, with federal pandemic relief funding and programs ceasing, Whatcom County is expecting a funding and services cliff that will result in increased housing insecurity and homelessness; and WHEREAS, there is a continued shortage of workforce able to meet the housing and behavioral health needs that continue to increase in the community; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County specific has several local funding sources dedicated to housin and homelessness that can help leveraae state and federal fundina. mnel. de dee nge Millage, Behavioral Health Sales Tax and Mental Health , but current funding levels are insufficient and cannot keep pace with the increasing community need, of total community investments; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County government works with State Legislators, the seven cities within Whatcom County, Port of Bellingham, and many for -profit and non-profit community partners to address housing availability and homelessness issues, and in 2019 the County-'s share waz —ately 26% with additional community investments from thile City 0, Bellingham Housing Authority and other federal funding (21%), and private contributions (26%); and WHEREAS, according to the US Census, the Whatcom County median household income in 2021 (1-year estimate) was $72,055 and according to R^�',�fin.comNorthwest Multiple Listing Service the median sale price of a home in Whatcom County in June 2023 2022 was $ GS52§ 610,000; and WHEREAS, Washington State acknowledges the state faces a significant shortage of available housing, needing 1 million additional homes by 2044 and resulting in pressure on 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 median home prices, which increased nearly 14% from 2021-2022; and WHEREAS, the state of Washington has allocated more than $2.4 billion toward a wide range of efforts to reduce homelessness and address the state's housing shortage; and WHEREAS, according the Association of Washington Housing Authorities, only 26% of Washington families in need of public housing are served, and families wait on average 3.5 years to be accepted into public housing; and WHEREAS, According to the American Public Health Association, ending homelessness is a public health issue, as those experiencing homelessness have high rates of chronic mental and physical health conditions, co-occurring disorders, and barriers to care; and WHEREAS, the Homeless Strategies Workgroup (HSW) was created by Council Resolution 2017-055 and reconvened in 2019 (Resolution 2019-034) to identify: 1. Additional temporary winter shelters, 2. Added capacity for year-round shelters, 3. Additional opportunities to address the needs of the county' s homeless population, and 4. Strategies to prevent people from having no other option than to sleep outside; and WHEREAS, On May 4, 2021, the Whatcom County Council approved Resolution 2021- 018, receiving the HSW's recommendations, which included: • Provide motel stays for families with children • Establish overflow winter shelter to offer individuals when basecamp is full • Establish severe weather shelters to offer individuals who typically don't use shelters when basecamp and overflow winter shelter capacity has been reached • Establish a data collection process to assist in ongoing analysis and planning • Support continuation of current specialty shelters • Support continuation of current tiny home villages as well as the pending village contracted by City of Bellingham • Encourage local elected officials to work with Skagit and Island counties to increase shelter capacity for their residents • Interim housing unites for families with children as an alternative to motel stays • Establish shelter and services for people who are medically fragile • Relocation of basecamp to permanent home; and WHEREAS, Resolution 2021-018 asked the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom County to take responsibility for moving forward the recommendations of the Homeless Strategies Workgroup; and WHEREAS. on January 10. 2023. the Whatcom Countv Business and Commerce Advisory Committee (WCBCC) transmitted their proposal to increase access to housing for all income levels, which included recommendations to: • Reduce the complexity and the cost of compliance of code. • Prioritize density in existing city boundaries and urban growth areas while supporting limited annexations. • Provide incentives for permanently affordable home ownership and rentals for occupants whose incomes range from 50% to 150% of area median income WHEREAS, the WCBCC recommendations included specific budget requests, changes to land use code, improvements to building permit processes, increased coordination with Planning & Development Services staff, suggestions for the housing element in the upcoming 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 2025 Comprehensive Plan, and advocacy for state legislation; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council recognizes the challenges for those experiencing the co -occurrence of homelessness, mental health, and substance use disorder, and seeks to support targeted strategies and investments to address these challenges in a human centered way; and WHEREAS, on July 24, 2023, Resolution #2023-19, (AB# homelessness are a public health crisis. the Bellingham City Council approved 23783) affirming that affordable housing and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Whatcom County Council hereby affirms affordable housing affordability and homelessness as a public health crisis; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Executive and/er county staff from all relevant departments take a more holistic, system- wide annroach to addressina homelessness and housina affordabilitv and availabilitv at all income levels, and bring forward ideas for how the County can take more proactive, effective, and decisive action. Examples may include, but are not limited to: • exploring additional local, state, and federal funding sources dedicated to housing and homelessness, • developing a gap analysis, • addressing regulatory barriers, • considering the feasibility of a county land bank and/or land trust, • pursuing housing and shelter projects on county owned lands, • developing an emergency plan for climate change related response impacting those who are unhoused, • providing technical assistance and training to those working on housing and homelessness issues in the community to support planning, housing, and emergency response related needs, • working with legal and finance departments to build capacity of partner agencies to help meet the increased demand for services, • exploring increased rental safety standards that includes expanding inspections and testing for materials harmful to human health, and • working with the City of Bellingham on providing safe parking and adequate sheltering in compliance with Martin v. Bois and heng,.',.,.,.n,.ss n be enhaneed . and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Whatcom County increase its coordination, collaboration, and advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels to prioritize addressing the affordable housing affordability and homelessness crisis; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, the Whatcom County Council requests that the Housing Advisory Committee of Whatcom County and/or county staff provide a progress report to Council before the end of the year on the status of the HSW recommendations. APPROVED this day of ATTEST: 2023. WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council APPROVED AS TO FORM: Karen Frakes (by email 6R8/4/2023) Civil Deputy Prosecutor Barry Buchanan, Health Board Chair