SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash., August 18, 2022—Today, the Snohomish County Human Services Department announced that their draft Business Plan to Fund Affordable Housing, Behavioral Health Facilities, and Related Services is available for public comment. The draft plan can be found here.

Earlier this year, Executive Somers and the Snohomish County Council passed an ordinance authorizing the collection of 0.1 percent of sales tax ($0.01 on a $10 purchase) to be used for affordable housing and behavioral health facilities, associated operating and maintenance costs, and services as allowable under House Bill 1590.  Snohomish County Human Services staff developed a draft Business Plan with input from several partners and the Plan was shared with the Snohomish County Council. Human Services is seeking feedback from residents and community members with the goal of preparing a final draft plan for consideration by the Snohomish County Council later in the fall.

“When we approved this new funding source, we made clear that we will work with our community, cities, and tribal partners to ensure these funds are fairly and equitably spent to address the needs of our residents throughout the county,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “No one can deny that there is a housing affordability crisis, and no one can argue against the need to take bold action. We urge the public to provide input and help shape this effort to support our economy, our environment, and the health of our community.”

The draft 1590 Business Plan is available here and interested residents can also review the 2022 Point in Time count summary which offers additional information about homelessness in Snohomish County. Those interested in providing feedback can complete and submit this questionnaire to HART@snoco.org. Community members can also send general comments not affiliated with the questionnaire to HART@snoco.org. Comments must be submitted by September 15, 2022 to be considered in the final draft.

In addition to written feedback from the public, Human Services is conducting seven outreach and engagement sessions with key partners, including the Housing Affordability Regional Taskforce (HART). Human Services is also reviewing and incorporating feedback on housing and behavioral health services provided during the Office of Recovery & Resilience’s (ORR) pandemic recovery engagement efforts.

Information about the feedback process is also available on the Human Services Department website, under the “Public Meetings” section: https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/1091/Public-Notices. Community members can email HART@snoco.org with any questions regarding the Plan and/or the process.

The Snohomish County Human Services Department helps all persons meet their basic needs and develop their potential by providing timely, effective human services and building community.