FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 
Contact: Rob Huff,robh@wliha.org, 253-229-5769 

NEWS ADVISORY - Critical bill to legalize solutions to homelessness passes out of the Senate 

Today the Senate 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. 

Following its passage today, ESHB 2266 will need to return to the House for concurrence before it will be sent to the Governor for his signature. 

"The solution to homelessness is housing, and the passage of ESHB 2266 out of the Senate today shows that lawmakers 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. "We urge lawmakers to move this bill through the concurrence process and send it to the Governor." 

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

# # #