Our WC Re-Entry Coalition High Risk Offender Housing Resolution was presented to the Whatcom
County Council on August 7, 2007. It was approved 6 to 0, with 1 absent.
We also had the support of the Whatcom County Executive Pete Kremen, Whatcom County Sheriffs
office, Whatcom County Coalition for the Homeless and Whatcom County Democrats.
Whereas of June 30th, 2007 the Department of Corrections has cut off housing funding
assistance for "High Risk" offenders, thereby jeopardizing our communities' public
safety.
And whereas, the reasoning for discontinuing this funding was a legal interpretation of
financial liability and the passage of ESSB 6157 to take care of future community network
re-entry needs.
And whereas, the purpose of this legislation is to improve public safety by better
preparing offenders while incarcerated, and continuing those efforts for those recently released from
prison or jail, for successful, productive, and healthy transitions to their communities.
And whereas, the Community Trade and Economic Development Department is required to
establish a housing assistance program, not to exceed 12 months, for offenders reentering the community
who are in need of housing and set up a community transition coordination network grant
program which will award grants to counties or groups of counties for implementing coordinated
reentry efforts for offenders returning to community from prison or jails.
And whereas, only two pilot counties out of 39 will be provided grants to eligible
organizations to provide housing assistance to offenders reentering the community who are in
need of housing and that they must be operated in collaboration with a Community Justice
Center.
And whereas, Whatcom County does not qualify for a Community Justice Center even though
it currently provides over 80% of the services within a one mile radius of its DOC offices.
And whereas, Whatcom County would not qualify for one of the two pilot grants, even
though it has successfully, on its own piloted a housing network using the one month rental
assistance that was recently abolished to assist about 50 high risk offenders a year.
And whereas, a Whatcom County program designed to safely house sex offenders released
from DOC facilities cost $17,854 for housing assistance for 14 individuals over a 15 month period.
Without this program, DOC would have incurred $322,500 in incarceration costs maintaining
offenders until their maximum release date.
And whereas, while only two of the 39 counties will receive grant award, the other 37
counties will receive no assistance and it will take years for all this to be implemented
creating a public safety issue throughout the state.
And whereas, ESSB 6157 addresses the issue of liability by exempting landlords, state
and local entities who provide housing assistance to offenders from civil damages arising from
criminal conduct of an offender solely due to the placement of the offender in housing.
Therefore be it resolved, that the Whatcom County Reentry Coalition requests that
Governor Christine Gregoire re-confer with the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and the
Attorney General's Office to consider reinstating previous 90 day housing assistance
vouchers for "High Risk" offenders.
