State advisory group debates tiered standards, building‑official approval for temporary emergency shelters

The Washington State Building Code Council’s IBC Technical Advisory Group met online Oct. 23, 2025, to continue drafting guidance for temporary emergency shelters and shelter‑like uses, discussing how statewide language could support local jurisdictions responding to homelessness and disasters.

Members focused on a tiered approach that would differentiate immediate disaster relief, short‑term inclement‑weather shelters and planned temporary or converted facilities. Chair Dustin opened the item and noted several documents posted to the project page shortly before the meeting.

The group repeatedly returned to three core public‑safety priorities: safe egress, notification/alerting, and sanitation. "I like looking at this from the standpoint of how are we bettering the situation over what it is," said Josh Mergans, urging that any standard leave people in a safer condition than street sleeping. Steve Belzak, who presented a baseline concept, described his goal as "the…