Permanent Supportive Housing Advisory Committee: Annual Report Pursuant to RCW 43.330.425, December 2025 (Report to the Legislature)

Summary

The December 2025 annual report to the Legislature of the Permanent Supportive Housing Advisory Committee, issued by the Washington State Department of Commerce pursuant to RCW 43.330.425. It explains that the Committee was created in Chapter 266, Laws of 2022 (SHB 1724) and has 26 positions appointed by Commerce, and that the contract with facilitator Uncommon Bridges was not renewed for state fiscal year 2026. The report lists the Committee's 25 recommendations in four categories: aligning health and housing services, expanding PSH development, improving existing PSH quality and ensuring ongoing stability. Appendix A describes membership, vacancies and geographic and lived-experience diversity. Appendix B lists quarterly meetings held October 10, 2024, January 9, 2025, and April 10, 2025, and a special meeting on June 26, 2025.

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Permanent Supportive Housing Advisory
Committee

Annual report pursuant to RCW 43.330.425




                                           December 2025

                                           Report to the Legislature
     OFFICE OF APPLE HEALTH AND
     HOMES — PERMANENT
     SUPPORTIVE HOUSING                    Director Joe Nguyễn

v4
Acknowledgments
Washington State Department of Commerce
Melodie Pazolt, Former Managing Director
Office of Apple Health and Homes — Permanent
Supportive Housing

Chanita Jackson, Interim Managing Director
Office of Apple Health and Homes — Permanent
Supportive Housing

Grace Lee, Unit Administrative and Program Support
Specialist
Office of Apple Health and Homes — Permanent
Supportive Housing

Uncommon Bridges
(formerly BDS Planning & Urban Design)
Ishmael Nuñez, Project Director

Marisol Beas, Project Manager

Current and past members of the Permanent
Supportive Housing Advisory Committee
Current members are listed in Appendix A

1011 Plum St. SE
P.O. Box 42525
Olympia, WA 98504-2525

www.commerce.wa.gov

For people with disabilities, this report is available on
request in other formats. Please call 360-725-4000 with
your request.




PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE             2
Table of contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................4

Committee recommendations .............................................................................................................................5

Appendix A: Committee membership...................................................................................................................7

Appendix B: Meetings .........................................................................................................................................9




PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE                                                                                                                     3
Introduction
Overview
In Chapter 266, Laws of 2022 (SHB 1724), the Legislature created the Permanent Supportive Housing Advisory
Committee (Committee). The Committee is intended to provide guidance and recommendations on the
administration of permanent supportive housing (PSH) programs managed by the Department of Commerce
(Commerce). PSH is defined in RCW 36.70A.030 as non-time-limited housing for persons with disabling conditions
who have experienced homelessness or risk of homelessness and are offered voluntary supportive services to
maintain their lease agreement. The Legislature appropriates multiple funding sources to support PSH in
Washington. The Committee provides guidance and recommendations on the management of this funding. These
investments support capital, operations and maintenance funding.

The Committee has 26 positions, which are appointed by Commerce. Eleven positions are designated for
individuals with experience living in PSH who also represent various populations, such as persons of color, persons
with developmental disabilities and persons older than 55. A current membership list is included in Appendix A.

In 2022, Commerce contracted with Uncommon Bridges (formerly known as BDS Planning and Urban Design) to
assist in organizing the Committee and facilitating meetings. Facilitation included quarterly public meetings, as
well as one-on-one meetings with members and Uncommon Bridges staff to provide education and support.

In the 2025-27 enacted budget, the PSH Advisory Committee's funding was significantly reduced and the contract
with Uncommon Bridges was not renewed for state fiscal year 2026. Commerce now solely manages Committee
staffing and will continue efforts to align capital, services and operating investments with the delivery of PSH.

Statutory reporting requirements
This report satisfies the reporting requirements in Section 2 of Chapter 266, Laws of 2022 (SHB 1724), which
directs the advisory committee to:

    (a) Select a chair from among its membership;
    (b) Meet quarterly;
    (c) Provide guidance and recommendations on the administration of permanent supportive housing resources managed
    by the department, including recommendations to ensure alignment of capital, services, and operating investments and
    fidelity with the provision of permanent supportive housing as defined in RCW 36.70A.030;
    (d) Until December 31, 2027, report its recommendations to enhance the coordination and availability of permanent
    supportive housing to the appropriate Committees of the Legislature and the governor by December 1st of each year.

Summary of recommendations
The Committee adopted 18 recommendations during its first two years of operation. These recommendations
were based on the Committee's original eight priorities identified and reported to the Legislature in 2023 and 2024.
In 2025, the Committee added seven more recommendations, resulting in a total of 25. The Committee prioritized
these categories to guide Commerce’s actions, considering staff capacity and state fiscal constraints. Commerce
identified action items for each recommendation and provides regular progress updates to the Committee.

The Committee's 25 recommendations — listed in order of priority — are organized into four categories:
   1. Align health and housing services (six recommendations)
   2. Expand and increase support for PSH development (six recommendations)
   3. Improve the quality of existing PSH continuously (10 recommendations)
   4. Ensure ongoing stability for PSH (three recommendations)



PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE                                                                            4
Committee recommendations
Between August 2024 and June 2025, Commerce and Uncommon Bridges facilitated quarterly public-facing
meetings for the Committee. Each meeting featured data presentations, presentations from a range of experts and
in-depth discussions to identify barriers, challenges and successes. Throughout these meetings, the Committee
refined its 18 initial recommendations, with the oversight of Commerce, to expand, sustain and improve the quality
of PSH. All public-facing meeting materials, summaries and recordings are available on the Committee website. In
addition, Uncommon Bridges conducted one-on-one discussions with members outside of these meetings to
gather further insights and perspectives. More information on this process is provided in Appendix B.

The following sections summarize all 25 of the PSH Advisory Committee's recommendations, sorted by the priority
of the four categories listed at the end of the Introduction.

Recommendations to align health and housing services:
  Dedicate more PSH units to the Health Care Authority (HCA) Program for Assertive Community Treatment, the
  Governor's Opportunity for Supportive Housing, and global leasing by creating a learning collaborative between
  HCA, the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration, Commerce and PSH owners and operators 1
  Implement a strategic workgroup with PSH providers, Managed Care Organizations and Behavioral Health
  Administrative Services Organizations to discuss crisis interventions
  Pursue Agency Request Legislation to define individuals transitioning from medical respite as eligible for the
  Apple Health and Homes Initiative
  Work closely with HCA on the Medicaid Transformation Project to ensure individuals can access Medicaid
  before they are released from jail or prison 2
  Increase awareness of the Foundational Community Supports programs and Apple Health and Homes (AHAH)
  Initiative for the purpose of collaborative discharge planning and referrals
  Improve alignment between sustainable funding sources and new PSH development

Recommendations to expand and increase support for PSH development:
  Develop a public platform to describe all available and open public funding sources for PSH
  Create a public-facing resource about types of rental assistance that details eligibility, funding sources and how
  to access them
  Study how to convert unused office space and surplus land into PSH
  Provide training and technical assistance to by-and-for organizations so they can become PSH providers
  Provide more pre-development resources pending funding availability
  Pursue additional funding for tenant-based vouchers, project-based vouchers, global leasing and PSH
  sustainability through Commerce budget proposals, grants and other sources

Recommendations to continuously improve the quality of existing PSH:
  Provide a public resource listing the scores of PSH projects' fidelity reviews 3
  Develop a toolkit to educate communities on the benefits of PSH and to address concerns
  Create a position within the Office of Apple Health and Homes (AHAH) dedicated to PSH fidelity reviews



1 Global leasing, also known as master leasing, is a type of rental assistance program that helps link third-party leased properties with

behavioral health agencies. Source: Global leasing | Washington State Health Care Authority
2 The Medication Transformation Project is Washington's Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver. Section 1115 Medicaid

demonstration waivers allow states to develop projects, activities and services that improve health care systems. Source: Medicaid
Transformation Project (MTP) | Washington State Health Care Authority
3 Fidelity reviews are assessments of PSH programs to ensure they adhere to the model's core principles. Scores are based on the

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration PSH Fidelity Scale: Permanent Supportive Housing: Evaluating Your Program


PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE                                                                                             5
 Train people with experience living in PSH units or certified peer counselors to conduct fidelity reviews
 Provide Mental Health First Aid training to PSH providers
 Incentivize PSH projects in the PSH Operating and Maintenance Funds (OMS) and AHAH portfolio to conduct
 their own fidelity evaluations
 Incentivize PSH projects in the PSH-OMS program and AHAH portfolio to host fidelity reviews
 Permit performance-based contract agreements instead of cost reimbursement agreements for PSH-OMS
 funded sites after two years of consistent "high fidelity" reviews
 Address PSH workforce issues by promoting living wages, training and professional development opportunities
 Provide technical assistance and training to organizations interested in developing PSH

Recommendations to ensure ongoing sustainability for PSH:
 Provide more public information about available funding for PSH repairs, maintenance, operations, and
 preservation, including eligibility and how to access funds
 Evaluate the outcomes of AHAH rent assistance and OMS fund sources and provide a public dashboard and
 information
 Increase transparency of the PSH capital projects, and improve alignment with project-based rent assistance and
 services




PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE                                                                6
Appendix A: Committee membership
Background
Since November 2022, Commerce and Uncommon Bridges have recruited 38 members to appoint the 26
Committee positions listed in RCW 43.330.425. Between August 2024 and July 2025, six members resigned or
vacated positions. Bylaws passed in 2023 established recruitment processes to fill vacancies. The Committee
created a recruitment subcommittee to screen applications, interview applicants and make recommendations. The
full Committee then makes the final selection and provides recommendations to the Director of Commerce for
appointment. Once appointed to the Committee, an onboarding meeting is scheduled to review relevant content,
historical documents and processes.

The Committee recommended six members for appointments between August 2024 and July 2025. The
Committee also elected a Chair in 2024. However, the Chair resigned in April 2025 and as of September 2025, the
Chair position is vacant. In addition, there are four open positions that are in active recruitment. The vacant
positions include a PSH service provider, a PSH resident, a Public Housing Authority and a PSH resident who also
represents the LGBTQIA2s+ community.

Current Committee membership and affiliated organizations:
  Torri Canda: Healthcare sector
  Kimberly Castle: Health Care Authority
  Megan Curran: PSH advocate
  Taylor Danielson: PSH researcher
  Tara Dean: PSH resident and interests of substance use disorder community
  Megan Diamond: PSH resident and interests of families with children
  Rhonda Hauff: PSH building operator
  Kerri Hill: PSH resident and interests of American Indian/Alaska Native community
  Whitney Joy Howard: Aging and Long-Term Support Administration
  Devon Isakson: County that invests in PSH (Pierce County)
  Jolene Kron: Behavioral health sector
  Franci Lamb: PSH resident and interests of older adults (over 55)
  Kelli Larsen: City with the highest number of chronically homeless (City of Seattle)
  Laina Moore-Caldwell: City that invests in PSH (City of Hoquiam)
  Catori Reed: PSH resident and interests of physical disability community
  Curtis Rodgers: PSH resident and interests of communities of color
  Ginger Segel: PSH developer
  Samantha Smithingell: Developmental Disabilities Administration
  Ted Therriault: PSH resident and interests of single adults
  Debbi Trosvig: County with the highest number of chronically homeless (King County)
  Jules Warner: PSH resident and interests of mental health disability community
  Jay Worley: PSH resident and interests of intellectual developmental disability community




PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE                                                                    7
Diversity of Committee membership
Geographic distribution
Using a regional approach based on the Apple Health Integrated Managed Care regions also ensures geographic
distribution of the Committee membership.

As of July 2025, the geographic distribution of the 22 current members by region is as follows:
  Great Rivers: 9% (Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Pacific and Wahkiakum counties)
  Greater Columbia: 5% (Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Kittitas, Walla Walla and Whitman counties)
  King: 23% (King County)
  North Central: 5% (Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties)
  North Sound: 5% (Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties)
  Pierce: 9% (Pierce County)
  Salish: 9% (Clallam, Jefferson and Kitsap counties)
  Spokane: 9% (Adams, Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane and Stevens counties)
  Thurston and Mason: 5% (Mason and Thurston counties)
  Southwest: 0% (Clark, Klickitat and Skamania counties)
  Statewide representatives: 23%

Lived experience and identity
The Committee also reflects diversity in lived experience and identity:
  18% of members are from the LGBTQIA2S+ community
  27% are people of color
  55% have experienced homelessness and/or behavioral health conditions




PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE                                                                     8
Appendix B: Meetings
During the 2025 state fiscal year, the Committee held quarterly meetings on October 10, 2024, January 9, 2025, and
April 10, 2025. Commerce also provided Committee members with a special session on November 12, 2024, to
learn more about the legislative process and describe how the Committee recommendations were incorporated
into decision package proposals and agency request legislation.

Uncommon Bridges also met individually with Committee members between meetings. These one-on-one
meetings offered support, debriefing, and opportunities to address unanswered questions from the Committee
meetings and provided additional context and education relevant to the topics being discussed in the quarterly
meetings.

On June 26, 2025, the committee held a special meeting was held to discuss budget impacts and celebrate its
successes. As the contract between Commerce and Uncommon Bridges was not renewed, this was the last
meeting facilitated by Uncommon Bridges, but Commerce has taken over facilitating meetings.

All public-facing meeting materials, summaries and recordings are available on the Committee website.




PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE                                                                  9


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