At a press conference on Thursday, Inslee previewed his budget proposal for an additional $100 million to maintain the Rapid Capital Housing Acquisition (RCHA) fund. This program has made it possible for state agencies and local partners to resolve encampments by quickly opening new emergency housing options such as converted hotels and tiny home villages.
Inslee previewed his proposal at a former encampment in Seattle that sprawled along 1st Avenue & Michigan Street. The governor had toured the site once before. In March, he met with the DOT crews working to clear debris and abandoned vehicles from the area, just days after local partners had connected the encampment residents with safer housing options.
Today, the site remains clear.
Since its launch in spring 2022, RCHA funds and the encampment resolution program have made it possible for state agencies and local partners to clear encampments and provide emergency shelter to people living on state rights of way.
“We can’t slow down on our efforts. If anything, our success should give us confidence to go bigger, faster,” said Inslee. “And I want to be clear about this: this funding won’t serve just a few people. The housing and shelter space we open now is going to be around for decades to come. It’s going to help countless people break the vicious cycle of poverty and homelessness.”