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<br />EVERETT
<br />(5) Any host religious organization performing any hosting of an outdoor encampment, vehicle
<br />resident safe parking, temporary small house on -site, or indoor overnight shelter, with a publicly
<br />funded managing agency, must work with the city or town to utilize Washington's homeless client
<br />management information system, as provided for in RCW 43.185C.180. When the religious
<br />organization does not partner with a managing agency, the religious organization is encouraged to
<br />partner with a local homeless services provider using the Washington homeless client managing
<br />information system. Any managing agency receiving any funding from local continuum of care
<br />programs must utilize the homeless client management information system. Temporary, overnight,
<br />extreme weather shelter provided in religious organization buildings does not need to meet this
<br />requirement.
<br />(6) For the purposes of this section:
<br />(a) "Managing agency" means an organization such as a religious organization or other
<br />organized entity that has the capacity to organize and manage a homeless outdoor
<br />encampment, temporary small houses on -site, indoor overnight shelter, and a vehicle
<br />resident safe parking program.
<br />(b) "Outdoor encampment" means any temporary tent or structure encampment, or both.
<br />(c) "Religious organization" means the federally protected practice of a recognized
<br />religious assembly, school, or institution that owns or controls real property.
<br />(d) "Temporary" means not affixed to land permanently and not using underground
<br />utilities.
<br />(7)(a) Subsection (2) of this section does not affect a city or town policy, ordinance, memorandum
<br />of understanding, or applicable consent decree that regulates religious organizations' hosting of the
<br />homeless if such policies, ordinances, memoranda of understanding, or consent decrees:
<br />(i) Exist prior to June 11, 2020;
<br />(ii) Do not categorically prohibit the hosting of the homeless by religious organizations;
<br />and
<br />(iii) Have not been previously ruled by a court to violate the religious land use and
<br />institutionalized persons act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000cc.
<br />(b) If such policies, ordinances, memoranda of understanding, and consent decrees are amended
<br />after June 11, 2020, those amendments are not affected by subsection (2) of this section if those
<br />amendments satisfy (a)(ii) and (iii) of this subsection.
<br />(8) An appointed or elected public official, public employee, or public agency as defined in RCW
<br />4.24.470 is immune from civil liability for (a) damages arising from the permitting decisions for a
<br />temporary encampment for the homeless as provided in this section and (b) any conduct or
<br />unlawful activity that may occur as a result of the temporary encampment for the homeless as
<br />provided in this section.
<br />(9) A religious organization hosting outdoor encampments, vehicle resident safe parking, or
<br />indoor overnight shelters for the homeless that receives funds from any government agency may
<br />not refuse to host any resident or prospective resident because of age, sex, marital status, sexual
<br />orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or
<br />the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or
<br />service animal by a person with a disability, as these terms are defined in RCW 49.60.040.
<br />(10)(a) Prior to the opening of an outdoor encampment, indoor overnight shelter, temporary small
<br />house on -site, or vehicle resident safe parking, a religious organization hosting the homeless on
<br />property owned or controlled by the religious organization must host a meeting open to the public
<br />for the purpose of providing a forum for discussion of related neighborhood concerns, unless the
<br />use is in response to a declared emergency. The religious organization must provide written notice
<br />of the meeting to the city or town legislative authority at least one week if possible but no later
<br />than ninety-six hours prior to the meeting. The notice must specify the time, place, and purpose of
<br />the meeting.
<br />City Council Staff Memo:
<br />Shelter and Housing for Homeless Individuals Code Amendments— Ordinance
<br />Page 6 of 10
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