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Council votes to send letter backing state bill to let small cities seek homeless funding directly
Summary
Staff briefed the council on a proposed letter of support for a state bill that would let smaller cities apply directly to the regional Continuum of Care for homelessness funding; council approved sending the letter after hearing public concern about state mandates and the need for safeguards.
Staff presented a draft letter supporting state legislation that would change how small cities access Continuum of Care funds for homelessness prevention and services, explaining the bill would let cities under 300,000 population apply directly for funds rather than rely on subrecipients.
Deputy City Manager (presentation) said the bill would “streamline the process” and give local governments an option to apply directly in the first 30 days after a notice of funding opportunities, allowing cities to “pick [their] individual partners” and potentially receive funding earlier.
Several public commenters said the proposal risks new state mandates and questioned whether the city would be forced into an MOU or adopt encampment policies. Molly Atland and other residents asked how the city would manage funding and whether participation would carry additional reporting responsibilities.
Council debate centered on balancing quicker local access to funds with concerns about losing local control. Deputy Mayor O'Hara said he was “torn,” noting the bill language uses terms like “shall comply” and asked whether signing a letter of support would effectively commit the city. Staff and the deputy city manager clarified that a letter of support would not force the city into any mandatory MOU and would not itself commit the city to future participation.
After discussion Councilmember Lyons moved approval. The council approved the motion to send the letter of support; the clerk recorded the outcome as “motion carries 3 to 1 with 1 Extension from Deputy Mayor O'Hara,” indicating dissent and/or abstention by some members on the record.
Councilmembers said they would review any individual grant opportunities closely if the bill becomes law and would keep the public informed before entering any binding agreements.
