HB1250 – Replacing the low-income home rehabilitation revolving loan program with a grant program.
Prime Sponsor – Representative Steele (R; 12th District; North Central Washington) (Co-Sponsor Eslick – R)
Current status – Had a hearing in the Senate Committee on Housing March 10th; amended to update the low-income home rehabilitation account’s name in the section on the Treasurer’s trust fund, and passed out of committee March 22nd. Had a hearing in Ways and Means March 28th and passed out of committee April 4th. Referred to Rules and passed by the Senate April 12th. House concurred in Senate amendments.
Next step would be – To the Governor.
Legislative tracking page for the bill.

In the House – Passed
Scheduled for a hearing in the House Committee on the Capital Budget at 1:30 PM on Thursday February 9th. Replaced by a substitute and passed out of committee February 16th. Referred to Rules and passed by the House February 28th.

Substitute –
This would raise the maximum grant to $50,000; raise the ceiling on eligible income to 200% of the Area Median Income, and allow the cost of  home rehabilitation to be based on 80% of the appraised value after rehabilitation or 80% of the assessed value.

Summary –
The bill would terminate the current low-income home rehabilitation revolving loan program, forgive any outstanding loan balances, and replace it with a grant program. Grants would now be available to people or households below 80% of area median income for the county or 60% of the state median income, whichever was greater. (The existing program caps eligibility at or below 200% of the Federal poverty level.) The Department of Commerce would be required to contract with rehabilitation agencies to provide home rehabilitation services, and to give preference to local agencies delivering programs and services with similar eligibility criteria.