RESOLUTION 2002 - 34

(Creating a fund for affordable Housing Fees)

WHEREAS, during the 2002 Washington State Legislative Session, the Washington State Legislature passed Substitute House Bill 2060 which relates to funds for operating and maintaining low-income housing projects and for innovating housing projects; and

WHEREAS, the new law, which amends RCW 36.18.010, 18.85.540, and 43.185.050 and adds new sections to chapter RCWs 36.22 and 43.330, requires county auditors to collect a surcharge of $10 on each document recorded in their respective counties; and

WHEREAS, County Auditors may retain up to five percent of the funds collected to administer the collection of these funds with remaining funds split 40 percent to the Washington housing Trust Account and 60 percent to the County; and

WHEREAS, Skamania County desires to create an “Affordable Housing Fund” in which to deposit the County’s share of the surcharge and from which to make eligible expenditures;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that a new Skamania County fund named “Affordable Housing” (123.000.000) is hereby created for the following limited purposes:

· Acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of housing projects or units within housing projects that are affordable to very low-income persons with incomes at or below fifty percent of the area median income;

· Supporting building operation and maintenance costs of housing projects or units within housing projects built with housing trust funds, that are affordable to very low-income persons 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;

· Rental assistance vouchers for housing projects or units within housing projects that are affordable to very low-income persons 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 the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 8 Rental Assistance Voucher Program standards; and

· Operating costs for emergency shelters and licensed overnight youth shelters.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Skamania County Treasurer will deposit the balance of the $10.00 surcharge paid on documents recorded by the Skamania County Auditor after paying a five percent fee to the Auditor’s Operations and Maintenance Fund for administering the surcharge and after transmitting 60 percent of the remaining funds to the Washington State Treasurer for the Washington Housing Trust Account; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners, or its designee, shall make expenditures from the Affordable Housing Fund.

PASSED IN REGULAR SESSION this 17^th day of June 2002.