The Homelessness Housing and Assistance Act (RCW 43.185C) passed in 2005 requires counties to:
Develop a ten-year plan to reduce homelessness by 50 percent by 2015.
Conduct an annual point in time count of homeless persons.
Report progress implementing plans annually to Commerce.
Use the local portion of document recording fees ($20.2 million per year) to reduce homelessness.
Implement a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to collect client data used to measure program, county and state performance.
The Act requires the Department of Commerce to:
Work with the Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) and Affordable Housing Advisory Board (AHAB) to develop a ten-year plan to reduce homelessness by 50 percent by 2015.
Coordinate the annual point in time count.
Produce an annual report on the performance measures used to measure state and local plan implementation.
Provide technical assistance to counties.
Pass through most of the state portion of document recording fees ($8.6 million per year) to local governments to reduce homelessness.
Implement Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) to collect client data used to measure program, county and state performance.