For More Information: Larry Phillips  (206) 296-1004

The Metropolitan King County Council voted today to implement a $10 County document filing surcharge today in order to generate needed revenue for low-income housing.

The measure would generate about $2.28 million annually for local King County housing projects affordable to persons earning up to 50 percent of median income. The measure would also generate about $1.52 million for state housing projects for persons earning up to 30 percent of median income.

“Today’s action will not solve the problems we are currently having with adequately funding human services and low-income housing in King County,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, who began advocating for additional public housing revenue in 1995 as co-chair of King County’s Regional Housing Finance Task Force. “We have been asking the Legislature for more funding flexibility for a long time, and this certainly helps. Nevertheless, we still face tremendous challenges regarding human services funding in the County.

“About 60 percent of the revenue generated for low income housing in King County will stay in King County,” said Phillips, Chairs of the Council’s Budget Committee. “I have long believed that revenue generated in the region, should stay in the region.”

The $10 surcharge would apply to most document fillings, particularly those pertaining to real estate fillings such as mortgages, easements, lot line adjustments, and deeds of trust. Others would include, but not be limited to, court judgments, license agreements, and default notices.

The Legislature enacted the filing surcharge when it passed SHB 2060 earlier this year. The measure allows for a broad range of housing needs including acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of housing; supplemental funds to cover on-going rental housing operating expenses; rental assistance, and emergency shelters.