Snohomish County poised to redirect millions into rental assistance

OLYMPIA — A bill allowing Snohomish County to redirect as much as $5 million a year into rental assistance and behavioral health facilities is headed to the governor.

On Wednesday, the House unanimously passed Senate Bill 5604 easing restrictions on how local governments can spend revenues from taxes targeted for mental health treatment programs and affordable housing development. The Senate passed the measure 47-0 earlier in the session.

“It’s a huge deal,” said Rep. April Berg, D-Mill Creek, chair of the House Finance Committee. “It gives a lot of flexibility and agility to local governments to tackle our behavioral health and homelessness crises.”

The bill deals with two different sales and use taxes collected in cities and counties around the state, including Snohomish County.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/snohomish-county-poised-to-redirect-millions-into-rental-assistance/