County officially won't require drug treatment at new hotel shelters
EVERETT — After more than hour of public testimony, the Snohomish County Council again shot down a proposal that would have required drug treatment programs as a condition for living in two new county shelters.
In August, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers had proposed converting the Days Inn in Everett and Americas Best Value Inn in Edmonds into low-barrier transitional housing, using $19.9 million in one-time pandemic relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
County Council member Nate Nehring pushed to delay the hotel purchases, to allow for a public discussion on whether the county should require drug treatment for residents. Nehring’s motion failed in August, and the council voted 3-2 to move ahead with Somers’ “Housing First” plan.
Nehring then moved to amend the shelter plan, arguing housing services at county-owned hotels must include “code of conduct requiring a participant with a substance use disorder to participate in chemical dependency treatment services.”
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/county-officially-wont-require-drug-treatment-at-new-hotel-shelters/