2012 Revised Code of Washington
Title 43 - STATE GOVERNMENT — EXECUTIVE
43.185C Homeless housing and assistance.
43.185C.240 Document recording surcharge funds -- Use -- Local government obligations -- Washington state quality award program -- Department's duties -- Definitions.

RCW 43.185C.240 Document recording surcharge funds — Use — Local government obligations — Washington state quality award program — Department's duties — Definitions. (Expires June 30, 2017.)

(1) As a means of efficiently and cost-effectively providing housing assistance to very-low income and homeless households:

     (a) Any local government that has the authority to issue housing vouchers, directly or through a contractor, using document recording surcharge funds collected pursuant to RCW 36.22.178, 36.22.179, or 36.22.1791 must:

     (i)(A) Maintain an interested landlord list, which at a minimum, includes information on rental properties in buildings with fewer than fifty units;

     (B) Update the list at least once per quarter;

     (C) Distribute the list to agencies providing services to individuals and households receiving housing vouchers;

     (D) Ensure that a copy of the list or information for accessing the list online is provided with voucher paperwork; and

     (E) Use reasonable best efforts to communicate and interact with landlord and tenant associations located within its jurisdiction to facilitate development, maintenance, and distribution of the list;

     (ii) Using cost-effective methods of communication, convene, on a semiannual or more frequent basis, landlords represented on the interested landlord list and agencies providing services to individuals and households receiving housing vouchers to identify successes, barriers, and process improvements. The local government is not required to reimburse any participants for expenses related to attendance;

     (iii) Produce data, limited to document recording fee uses and expenditures, on a calendar year basis in consultation with landlords represented on the interested landlord list and agencies providing services to individuals and households receiving housing vouchers, that include the following: Total amount expended from document recording fees; amount expended on, number of households that received, and number of housing vouchers issued in each of the private, public, and nonprofit markets; amount expended on, number of households that received, and number of housing placement payments provided in each of the private, public, and nonprofit markets; amount expended on and number of eviction prevention services provided in the private market; and amount expended on and number of other tenant-based rent assistance services provided in the private market. If these data elements are not readily available, the reporting government may request the department to use the sampling methodology established pursuant to (c)(iii) of this subsection to obtain the data; and

     (iv) Annually submit the calendar year data to the department by October 1st, with preliminary data submitted by October 1, 2012, and full calendar year data submitted beginning October 1, 2013.

     (b) Any local government receiving more than three million five hundred thousand dollars during the previous calendar year from document recording surcharge funds collected pursuant to RCW 36.22.178, 36.22.179, and 36.22.1791, must apply to the Washington state quality award program, or similar Baldrige assessment organization, for an independent assessment of its quality management, accountability, and performance system. The first assessment may be a lite assessment. After submitting an application, a local government is required to reapply at least every two years.

     (c) The department must:

     (i) Require contractors that provide housing vouchers to distribute the interested landlord list created by the appropriate local government to individuals and households receiving the housing vouchers;

     (ii) Using cost-effective methods of communication, annually convene local governments issuing housing vouchers, landlord association representatives, and agencies providing services to individuals and households receiving housing vouchers to identify successes, barriers, and process improvements. The department is not required to reimburse any participants for expenses related to attendance;

     (iii) Develop a sampling methodology to obtain data required under this section when a local government or contractor does not have such information readily available. The process for developing the sampling methodology must include providing notification to and the opportunity for public comment by local governments issuing housing vouchers, landlord association representatives, and agencies providing services to individuals and households receiving housing vouchers;

     (iv) Develop a report, limited to document recording fee uses and expenditures, on a calendar year basis in consultation with local governments, landlord association representatives, and agencies providing services to individuals and households receiving housing vouchers, that includes the following: Total amount expended from document recording fees; amount expended on, number of households that received, and number of housing vouchers issued in each of the private, public, and nonprofit markets; amount expended on, number of households that received, and number of housing placement payments provided in each of the private, public, and nonprofit markets; amount expended on and number of eviction prevention services provided in the private market; and amount expended on and number of other tenant-based rent assistance services provided in the private market. The information in the report must include data submitted by local governments and data on all additional document recording fee activities for which the department contracted that were not otherwise reported;

     (v) Annually submit the calendar year report to the legislature by December 15th, with a preliminary report submitted by December 15, 2012, and full calendar year reports submitted beginning December 15, 2013; and

     (vi) Work with the Washington state quality award program, local governments, and any other organizations to ensure the appropriate scheduling of assessments for all local governments meeting the criteria described in subsection (1)(b) of this section.

     (2) For purposes of this section:

     (a) "Housing placement payments" means one-time payments, such as first and last month's rent and move-in costs, funded by document recording surcharges collected pursuant to RCW 36.22.178, 36.22.179, or 36.22.1791 that are made to secure a unit on behalf of a tenant.

     (b) "Housing vouchers" means payments funded by document recording surcharges collected pursuant to RCW 36.22.178, 36.22.179, or 36.22.1791 that are made by a local government or contractor to secure: (i) A rental unit on behalf of an individual tenant; or (ii) a block of units on behalf of multiple tenants.

     (c) "Interested landlord list" means a list of landlords who have indicated to a local government or contractor interest in renting to individuals or households receiving a housing voucher funded by document recording surcharges.

     (3) This section expires June 30, 2017.

     (4) If section 1, chapter 90, Laws of 2012 is not enacted into law by July 31, 2012, this section is null and void.

[2012 c 90 § 2.]