Task force adopts aspirational vision and approves working mission for proposed Washington Department of Housing

A Washington state task force on Wednesday adopted an aspirational vision for a proposed Department of Housing and approved a working mission to guide detailed work by subcommittees.

Julia, executive director of the Ruckelshaus Center and facilitator for the task force, asked members to adopt the succinct vision: "Every Washingtonian has access to safe, stable, affordable housing where they have the opportunity to thrive." The group moved and seconded the adoption and recorded the decision by members raising hands.

The vote followed a data presentation showing task force members favored a department that serves primarily as a system coordinator — working through partners rather than becoming a direct-service provider — while public comment emphasized concrete affordability outcomes. Julia presented task-force survey results and nearly 3,700 public responses that showed the public prioritized affordability and access.

The working mission the group approved for subcommittee drafting and refinement states that the Department of Housing "seeks to align policies and practices across Washington's housing ecosystem to ensure enough housing for a growing population by reducing barriers that limit our ability to reach state housing targets, increasing production, reducing costs, speeding delivery, and advocating for the investment needed to support affordability across the housing continuum with accountability for measurable results." Task force members pressed for stronger, action-oriented language ("align," "advocate," "accountability") rather than passive phrasing such as "coordinate." Senator Jessica Bateman (22nd Legislative District) and others pushed to make the mission explicit about reaching production targets and reducing barriers to meet those targets.

Not every member supported the wording: Senator Gaynor registered opposition when the mission was recorded for the task force's working charge to the O&M (operations and mission) subcommittee. Facilitators said the mission and vision language would be circulated for wordsmithing and revisited at subsequent meetings and one-on-one interviews with members.

Public commenters urged the task force to prioritize preservation of existing affordable units, deepen affordability targets, and ensure clarity and transparency about definitions and incentives. Stacy Valenzuela urged prioritizing preservation and building deeply affordable units at 30% area median income and workforce housing at 50% AMI. Toni Schmidt of Goodwill in Spokane said Social Security rules and bank-account limits can be a barrier for people seeking housing. Tracy Jones, founder of Shepherd's Transformation and a disabled veteran who said she experienced homelessness, urged on-site supportive services and development approaches that enable residents to access jobs and supports. Juan Aguilar of Yakima asked the task force to ensure tribal and farmworker housing needs in eastern and central Washington are addressed.

Task force leaders outlined next steps: the adopted vision and working mission will be recorded, distributed to members, and used as charge language for the Organization & Mapping and Budget, Operations & Legal subcommittees. Facilitators said they plan interviews with task force members in May and June and aim to provide a draft report to the full task force by Sept. 2, with the final report to the governor's office by late October and the governor's response posted in early November.

The task force will meet again in June; facilitators encouraged written comments and one-on-one conversations to refine mission wording and implementation details.