Helping local governments provide information about the impacts of homelessness.

HB 1708 requires Washington cities and counties to use a new state-provided dashboard tool to publicly report specific data on homelessness efforts. The dashboard must display annual metrics including housing unit gaps (needed vs. permitted), spending on housing assistance, households served, addiction treatment access, crime rates near encampments, and encampment locations - especially near schools. The Department of Commerce will contract for the application, and the Municipal Research Center will compile the data for public posting on its website. This policy directly affects all local governments by mandating standardized reporting on homelessness programs, not by providing new funding or services.