OLYMPIA—Washington state has an alarming homelessness crisis. Among those without a roof over their head every night are 30,000 students—or about three percent of those in K-12 schools.
“I recognized the need to do more to help our young people,” said Rep. Jake Fey (D-Tacoma), the sponsor of HB 1622, which includes amendments to his original 2015 bill known as the Homeless Students Stability Bill. “This bill provides further community supports and counselors for students who are at risk of becoming homeless, as well as additional funds.”
When this piece of legislation first became law in 2016, it created a competitive grant program available to school districts to connect homeless students to stable housing and improve access to educational resources. The original source of inspiration was from Tacoma School District and Tacoma Housing Authority efforts already in place at McCarver Elementary School in Tacoma.
“I’m grateful to my colleagues in the Senate for passing this bill off the floor today with a unanimous vote of 49-0. I am hopeful that with additional funding for the program this year we will be better able to provide more homeless students and their families with a more comprehensive set of services.”
HB 1622 now heads to the Governor’s desk for his signature.
