The surcharge provided for in this
section shall be named the affordable housing for all surcharge.
(1) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, a
surcharge of ten dollars per instrument shall be charged by the
county auditor for each document recorded, which will be in
addition to any other charge authorized by law. The county may
retain up to five percent of these funds collected solely for the
collection, administration, and local distribution of these
funds. Of the remaining funds, forty percent of the revenue
generated through this surcharge will be transmitted monthly to
the state treasurer who will deposit the funds into the
affordable housing for all account created in RCW 43.185C.190.
The department of community, trade, and economic development must
use these funds to provide housing and shelter for extremely
low-income households, including but not limited to grants for
building operation and maintenance costs of housing projects or
units within housing projects that are affordable to extremely
low-income households with incomes at or below thirty percent of
the area median income, and that require a supplement to rent
income to cover ongoing operating expenses.
(2) All of the remaining funds generated by this surcharge
will be retained by the county and be deposited into a fund that
must be used by the county and its cities and towns for eligible
housing activities as described in this subsection that serve
very low-income households with incomes at or below fifty percent
of the area median income. The portion of the surcharge retained
by a county shall be allocated to eligible housing activities
that serve extremely low and very low-income households in the
county and the cities within a county according to an interlocal
agreement between the county and the cities within the county
consistent with countywide and local housing needs and policies.
A priority must be given to eligible housing activities that
serve extremely low-income households with incomes at or below
thirty percent of the area median income. Eligible housing
activities to be funded by these county funds are limited to:
(a) Acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of housing
projects or units within housing projects that are affordable to
very low-income households with incomes at or below fifty percent
of the area median income, including units for homeownership,
rental units, seasonal and permanent farm worker housing units,
and single room occupancy units;
(b) Supporting building operation and maintenance costs of
housing projects or units within housing projects eligible to
receive housing trust funds, that are affordable to very
low-income households with incomes at or below fifty percent of
the area median income, and that require a supplement to rent
income to cover ongoing operating expenses;
(c) Rental assistance vouchers for housing units that are
affordable to very low-income households with incomes at or below
fifty percent of the area median income, to be administered by a
local public housing authority or other local organization that
has an existing rental assistance voucher program, consistent
with or similar to the United States department of housing and
urban development's section 8 rental assistance voucher program
standards; and
(d) Operating costs for emergency shelters and licensed
overnight youth shelters.
(3) The surcharge imposed in this section does not apply to
assignments or substitutions of previously recorded deeds of
trust.
[2007 c 427 § 1; 2005 c 484 § 18; 2002 c 294 § 2.]
NOTES:
Findings -- Conflict with federal requirements -- Effective date -- 2005 c 484: See RCW 43.185C.005, 43.185C.901, and 43.185C.902.
Findings -- 2002 c 294: "The legislature recognizes housing affordability has become a significant problem for a large portion of society in many parts of Washington state in recent years. The state has traditionally focused its resources on housing for low-income populations. Additional funding resources are needed for building operation and maintenance activities for housing projects affordable to extremely low-income people, for example farmworkers or people with developmental disabilities. Affordable rents for extremely low-income people are not sufficient to cover the cost of building operations and maintenance. In addition resources are needed at the local level to assist in development and preservation of affordable low-income housing to address critical local housing needs." [2002 c 294 § 1.]