FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026  
Contact: Rob Huff, robh@wliha.org, 253-229-5769

Critical bill to legalize solutions to homelessness passes out of committee  

Today the Senate Housing Committee passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2266 to remove barriers to the siting of permanent supportive housing and shelter in a critical step to ensure Washington can respond more quickly and efficiently to the ongoing affordable housing and homelessness crisis.

ESHB 2266, sponsored by Representative Strom Peterson, legalizes permanent supportive housing and transitional housing in residential zones, and shelter in zones where hotels are allowed. The bill outlaws local ordinances and actions that delay, deny, or otherwise block the creation of these life-saving homelessness interventions.

"The solution to homelessness is housing, and the passage of ESHB 2266 out of the Senate Housing Committee shows that lawmakers continue to share our frustration with roadblocks and delays to siting life-saving housing and shelter," said Michele Thomas, Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance. "Housing is housing, and it is reassuring that lawmakers agree that housing and shelter should not be delayed or halted because of who will be served by these projects. It's time to reject discrimination based on stereotypes and stigmas of disabled people experiencing homelessness. We urge the full Senate to pass this important legislation."

Last week the members of the Senate Housing Committee heard passionate testimony from people across the state who support ESHB 2266.

Sarah Dickmeyer from Plymouth Housing, a provider of housing for more than 1,500 residents, testified:

"Local housing need is growing, but in recent years we have seen a pattern of codified local barriers that make expanding capacity harder and more expensive -- most commonly in the form of supplemental administrative review, unequal and unclear standards, and subjective and discretionary approvals," Dickmeyer said. "It is mutually understood that this is a response to stigma and opposition, that can serve as avenues for community pressure or veto. We need the state to step in to set a fair standard."

Jenn Henderson, a staff attorney with Disability Rights Washington, also urged lawmakers to pass ESHB 2266:

"This bill matters because people with disabilities rely on transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and emergency housing to survive," Henderson said. "For many, disability is not incidental, but it is a prerequisite for accessing the only housing available to them. Stable housing keeps people with disabilities out of jail and out of involuntary treatment, while homelessness drives costly cycles of incarceration and hospitalization. People with disabilities are part of our communities, and they should not be treated differently or zoned out because of who they are. DRW has seen firsthand the benefits that this housing brings to communities. The stable residents and housing providers are overwhelmingly good neighbors and contribute positively to the places where they live."

ESHB 2266 has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee, where it can be pulled to the floor of the Senate for a final vote.

For additional information about ESHB 2266, please contact Rob Huff at the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance.

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