๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐กโฆ ๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?
When a major project is proposed in Sammamish, many of us expect our City Council and residents to have the opportunity to learn about it, ask questions, provide public input, and have some local say in what happens.
That's why it's worth paying attention to what's happening in one of our neighboring communities.
Washington recently passed HB 2266, one of several state housing laws that changes how cities regulate certain types of housing, including Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH).
Mercer Island is one of the first Eastside communities publicly raising concerns about what these changes could mean for local decision-making. And because most of Sammamish is in the ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ along with Mercer Island, what is happening there is particularly relevant to us.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ?
Because state law can limit some of the choices our local government has when certain types of housing are proposed.
๐๐จ, ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ-๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ญ ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ง๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐จ๐ซ๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ?
Yes. If a proposed project meets the applicable zoning and legal requirements, Permanent Supportive Housing could potentially be located near a neighborhood or school.
HB 2266 does not require Sammamish to build Permanent Supportive Housing. But if a qualifying project is proposed, state law can limit the City's ability to impose special location restrictions, separation requirements, or additional approval conditions specifically because the project is Permanent Supportive Housing.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ง๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐จ๐ซ๐ก๐จ๐จ๐.
The City still has authority over generally applicable requirements such as building, fire, engineering, environmental, and other development standards.
But when it comes to where a qualifying project may be located, some of the local control many of us might assume our City has may actually be limited by state law.
That's why it's important to understand these laws now before a project is ever proposed.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ "๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ-๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ "?
The term "low-barrier housing" has come up frequently in discussions about Permanent Supportive Housing.
Many,but not all,Permanent Supportive Housing programs operate using a Housing First, low-barrier approach. Generally, that means residents are not required to be sober, participate in treatment, or be employed as a condition of receiving or keeping their housing. Individual providers may have different operating policies.
Permanent Supportive Housing combines long-term housing with supportive services for people experiencing chronic homelessness and, in some cases, other people with disabilities who need ongoing support.
This isn't about affordable housing generally. Affordable housing serves many different people, including working families, seniors, veterans, young adults just getting started, and others who need housing they can afford.
This discussion is specifically about Permanent Supportive Housing, low-barrier housing, how state law affects local decision-making, and how much say communities and their elected city officials retain.
๐๐จ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐?
Because Mercer Island residents have been asking many of these same questions.
A group of residents organized a petition asking the Legislature to revisit portions of these laws and restore greater local flexibility.
And now there has been an important development from Mercer Islandโฆ
๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐
Senator Lisa Wellman's office has responded to Mercer Island residents' formal inquiry regarding HB 2266 and committed to several next steps:
โข๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ Senator Wellman's office has committed to requesting a Senate committee work session examining the impact of HB 2266 on smaller, geographically constrained cities.
โข๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง Her office is beginning the process of drafting legislation addressing concerns that have been raised and has committed to involving residents and other stakeholders before the 2027 legislative session.
โข๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ Senator Wellman is willing to host an informal, in-person public listening session for 41st Legislative District residents, with her office working to determine the timing.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก?
Because most of Sammamish is also in the 41st Legislative District.
Mercer Island residents have helped open the door to a broader conversation with our shared legislators about PSH, low-barrier housing, local control, and whether changes to current state law should be considered.
That door is now open to Sammamish residents too.
If you have thoughts about how these laws should work, how much flexibility our City should retain, where qualifying projects can be located, or what protections and public involvement should be part of the process, now is a good time to make those thoughts known.
You don't have to wait until a project is proposed in Sammamish to start asking questions.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ.
๐๐๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ญ.
I've included additional information, links to the legislation, and contact information for our legislators in the comments below.