Commissioners adopt college homeless housing plan version to send to state; debate about adding federal-compliance language

Cowlitz County commissioners voted on Dec. 31 to adopt the county’s 2025–2030 college homeless housing plan for submission to the Washington State Department of Commerce, while debating whether to add language explicitly aligning the plan with federal housing funding guidelines.

Commissioner (Speaker 6) asked whether the version before the board included workshop amendments discussed earlier. Chair (Speaker 2) said the board would adopt the version on file and that the Department of Commerce has statutory authority to review and approve or modify submitted local plans.

Gina, Health and Human Services staff (Speaker 1), told the board that county practice is to comply with Department of Commerce (state) guidelines and incorporate local priorities; she said staff had not added a statement specifically referencing federal standards but could include a stronger statement if the board requested it.

Several commissioners raised concerns about state-level policy positions. Commissioner (Speaker 4) said actions by the governor raised questions about whether state guidance fully aligns with federal guidelines and supported adding federal-compliance language to the county plan. Commissioner (Speaker 6) characterized state-level actions as 'fudging the plans' and supported a clear county statement to ensure resources prioritize citizens; Gina replied staff could draft stronger language.

The board did not amend the plan on the floor; staff will include any requested language before formally submitting the plan to the Department of Commerce, which will make the final determination on approval and any required changes.

Next steps: staff to incorporate board direction, if any, and transmit the plan to the Department of Commerce for review.