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City highlights $4.3M in housing infrastructure grants and flags several state bills

Everett City Council · February 5, 2026

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Summary

City staff told the council a Connecting Housing Infrastructure Program grant package totaling about $4.3 million would help pay utility fees for five projects, supporting construction of an estimated 462 affordable housing units; staff also reviewed active state bills on ALPRs, shelter and juvenile rehabilitation that could affect local policy.

Governmental affairs director Jennifer Brakeson told the Everett City Council on Feb. 4 about a consent-agenda grant package from the Connecting Housing Infrastructure Program that will pass through nearly $4.3 million to pay utility fees for five housing projects, helping enable the construction of roughly 462 new affordable housing units.

Brakeson said the grant items are on the consent agenda for approval and described how they align with the city's 2026–2030 housing strategy. "It connects with our 2026 to 2030 housing strategy, and it's actually 5 grant awards that are really just passed through, paying for utility fees for 5 different projects," she said.

She also reviewed several state bills of interest to Everett: Senate Bill 6002 on automated license-plate-reader retention (which the senate advanced and that currently sets a 21-day retention period); housing-related measures including Senate Bill 6069 and House Bill 2266 to encourage residential uses in commercial zones and to address supportive housing; juvenile rehabilitation bills (SB 6062 / HB 2389) that would change sentencing and treatment for some juvenile charges; and House Bill 2489 related to buffer zones and encampment responses.

Why it matters: The grant funding would lower upfront infrastructure costs for housing providers and is tied to the city's housing strategy. The legislative developments could change the city's tools on surveillance data retention, shelter requirements and juvenile rehabilitation policy; Brakeson said staff and local officials are actively testifying and engaging with the Legislature on several of the measures.

Next steps: The council placed the grant items on the consent agenda for approval; the staff will continue legislative engagement and report back on outcomes as the session proceeds.