Homeless housing grants

AN ACT Relating to establishing accountability requirements for 1
homeless housing grant programs; and adding a new section to chapter 2
43.185C RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.185C 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
(1) By December 1, 2027, and by each following December 1st, the 7
department shall require grantees and subgrantees that receive 8
funding through any of the homeless housing and assistance grant 9
programs administered by the department under this chapter to submit 10
annual plans to the department specifying their goals and targets 11
over the next calendar year related to: 12
(a) The number of people that the grantee or subgrantee forecasts 13
will be helped out of homelessness with the grant money over the next 14
calendar year; and 15
(b) How much money the grantee or subgrantee anticipates spending 16
per individual to help an individual move into housing over the next 17
calendar year. 18
(2) The state auditor shall conduct an annual performance audit 19
of all homeless housing and assistance grant programs administered by 20
the department under this chapter. As part of the audit, the state 21
H-3096.1
HOUSE BILL 2647
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Graham, Couture, Schmidt, and Jacobsen
Read first time 01/23/26. Referred to Committee on Housing.
p. 1 HB 2647
auditor shall consider whether grantees and subgrantees are spending 1
grant funds on authorized purposes, the amount that grantees and 2
subgrantees spend on providing authorized services compared to the 3
amount that grantees and subgrantees spend on administrative costs, 4
whether grantees and subgrantees are meeting the goals and targets 5
specified in their annual plans, whether grantees and subgrantees are 6
in compliance with this section, and the department's processes and 7
procedures for oversight of grantees and subgrantees. As appropriate, 8
the state auditor shall make recommendations for improving the 9
department's processes and procedures for oversight of grantees and 10
subgrantees. 11
(3)(a) By December 1, 2027, the state auditor, in coordination 12
with the department, shall determine what information is required 13
from grantees and subgrantees to conduct the audit. This information 14
must include, at minimum: 15
(i) Documentation showing what each grantee and subgrantee spent 16
the grant money on, including receipts for purchases; and17
(ii) Data and metrics on how many people each grantee and 18
subgrantee have helped out of homelessness, including how much money 19
each grantee and subgrantee spent per individual to help an 20
individual move into housing and the amount of time that each 21
individual remained housed. 22
(b) The department shall require grantees and subgrantees to 23
submit the required information to the department and the state 24
auditor by June 1, 2028, and every six months thereafter.25
(4) By December 1, 2028, and by each following December 1st, and 26
in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the state auditor shall submit an 27
annual report on the audit's findings and recommendations to the 28
appropriate committees of the legislature. 29
(5) A grantee or subgrantee is not eligible to apply for or 30
participate in a grant program administered by the department under 31
this chapter if: 32
(a) The grantee or subgrantee does not submit an annual plan 33
required in subsection (1) of this section by the appropriate 34
deadlines; 35
(b) The grantee or subgrantee does not provide the information 36
required in subsection (3) of this section by the appropriate 37
deadlines; 38
p. 2 HB 2647
(c) An audit's findings show that the grantee or subgrantee has 1
spent grant money on unauthorized purposes or otherwise 2
misappropriated funds; or 3
(d) A grantee or subgrantee is found not to be in compliance with 4
this section by an audit under subsection (4) of this section.5
(6) The department shall enforce this section by entering into an 6
appropriate agreement with each grantee to prevent a grantee or 7
subgrantee from receiving funding through any of the homeless housing 8
and assistance grant programs administered by the department under 9
this chapter if the grantee or subgrantee fails to meet the 10
requirements in this section. All requirements that apply to grantees 11
are passed on to subgrantees. A grantee is responsible for monitoring 12
its subgrantees for compliance with this section. A grantee is not in 13
compliance with this section if any of its subgrantees are not in 14
compliance with this section. 15
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p. 3 HB 2647