Specifications include, but are not limited to: 1. Review current state and federal laws and state of the practice Explanation: Perform legal research and analysis of federal and state government municipal codes to identify and catalog all current standards, rules, ordinances, and legal precedents that address or define the siting and development of emergency housing, emergency shelters, permanent supportive housing and transitional housing (collectively, supportive housing types). Build on Commerce work to collect and analyze supportive housing ordinances and regulations in Washington state. This work includes synthesizing the information to show any significant similarities or differences in how supportive housing types are regulated in Washington, analyze how these trends are or are not consistent with state and federal regulations and policy, and identify best practices. Commerce will provide the consultant with a list of local jurisdictions who have adopted supportive housing development regulations. Separately describe or characterize the basic entitlement processes, mitigation conditions and fair share practices for different supportive housing types by using existing sources and/or by conducting interviews with local planning departments, behavioral health providers, or other relevant entities. 2. Design supportive housing model ordinance Explanation: Apply information from state of the practice analysis, state and federal regulations, best practices on regulating supportive housing nationally, and Commerce input to iteratively develop the model ordinance for supportive housing types. Note the term “iterative” means creating multiple and/or contiguous versions of the ordinance as requested by Commerce to assist in advancing the objectives of the project. During development of the model ordinance, there will be a minimum 30-day public comment period and the contractor must present at an online webinar to be scheduled and facilitated by Commerce. During the public comment period, the consultant shall present at one or more existing Commerce advisory boards to gather feedback. The feedback during the public comment period will be collected and analyzed by the consultant and incorporated into the final model ordinance. P a g e | 3 3. Develop user’s guidebook for model ordinances with best practice guidance Explanation: Develop a user’s guidebook for the model ordinance to help local governments tailor the model to their local needs. This user’s guidebook will include a best practices guide for developing policies and regulations for supportive housing types. In the best practice’s guidance, identify relevant policies and best practices, including any legal precedent, from the fields of land use planning, healthcare, human services, supportive housing, and other relevant fields that supports the final version of the model ordinance. At a minimum, the best practices guidance should include information or guidance on: State and federal regulations that guide the regulation, siting, development and operations of supportive housing types, including fair housing laws and the Residential Landlord Tenant Act (RCW 59.18), Best practices for supportive housing planning and siting, including information on planning and accommodating a sufficient number of supportive housing units and reducing barriers to the siting of these facilities, General process and information for siting, entitling, funding, building, licensing and operating supportive housing, Definitions for terms in the statutes that are not defined (e.g., transit, reasonable requirements), When, if, and how to regulate perceived impacts of supportive housing with such mechanisms as operations plans, safety plans, codes of conduct, outreach plans, or other agreements such as MOUs, Spacing suggestions for different housing types and when they are appropriate (if any), and Community notifications, proportional impact fees, and guidance for working with attorneys. This information should be organized as supporting documentation to the model ordinance and used to inform the design of the communications toolkit. The best practices guide should look to examples beyond Washington state and include examples that strive to accommodate housing affordable to all economic segments of the population of this state (RCW 36.70A.020(4)), remove barriers to housing availability for all economic segments of the population (RCW 36.70A.070(2)(d)), and strive to reduce unsheltered homelessness (RCW 43.185C.050). This work will also be reviewed by the civil rights and Commerce Assistant Attorney General. 4. Create communications toolkit Explanation: Use all project materials, Commerce staff, and national best practices in communications to develop visually-compelling resources for planners and elected officials to make wise land use decisions on supportive housing that support state objectives (see #3 above). This material will also support local governments in communications with the public about supportive housing and the process for planning for them. Where applicable, this also includes communications materials about income-restricted housing. This toolkit should include: a) Information about the lowest income housing needs in Washington state, what the state requirements are for planning for these needs, causes of homelessness, and why we need to plan for more supportive housing types and income restricted housing beyond the state requirement. (For example: housing for a range of incomes supports thriving neighborhoods and communities, housing insecurity is present in every community, supportive housing vs. emergency services is more financially feasible, stable housing supports less crime and a better business environment, etc.) b) Information about who uses various supportive housing types and what these supportive housing types look like in Washington communities. c) A minimum, this toolkit must include the following items, relying on the latest effective messaging material and local and national research: Handouts to communicate about supportive housing types, including information in (a) and (b); Template PowerPoint presentations communicating why local governments need to plan for supportive housing types, the process to allow such facilities, best practices for planning for these facilities, how local governments are doing this planning work, and information in (a) and (b); Sample staff report(s) for jurisdictions to reference with the model ordinance, Myth busting information about topics such as: supportive housing types and what they are or are not, income diverse neighborhoods, crime rates related to supportive housing types, impacts of supportive housing types as neighbors, causes of homelessness, and other commonly held misperceptions about supportive housing types, Case studies and examples of jurisdictions that have used best practices in planning for and regulating supportive housing types, and Sample FAQ template for local planners and elected officials to communicate about the topics listed in the above bullet points and address public concerns. d) Links to other helpful resources that include, at a minimum, links to rental and homeownership resources, including Homeownership Resource Center Hotline; links on where municipal employees can get trauma informed training; relevant Commerce, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and U.S. Housing and Urban Development resources; and Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and MSRC resources and guidance. This work will be coordinated with Commerce’s Apple Health and Homes permanent supportive housing Communications Guide. 5. Compile case studies of local implementation of supportive housing Explanation: Compile four or more case studies of local jurisdiction implementation of accommodating and supporting development of supportive housing. These case studies should include: a) Information about the development of the supportive housing regulations (when, how long, process, local adjustments, community concerns, etc.), b) Resources that were used to support development of the housing and the local governments involvement in procurement of resources (if any), c) The local governments role in supporting the development of supportive housing (permitting, infrastructure, services, coordination, security or policing, coordination with the public, etc.), d) Obstacles or barriers along the way and how those were addressed (community concerns, funding, permitting, staffing, etc.), and e) Outcomes and results. Possible case study examples could include Vancouver, Wenatchee, Walla Walla, Everett, Bellingham, Tacoma, and Olympia. A diversity of jurisdictions (city and county), sizes and geographies are preferred.
