Inslee releases 2023 budget proposal with major focus on housing, homelessness and behavioral health

Gov. Jay Inslee released his 2023–25 budget proposals Wednesday including urgent and audacious investments in housing, homelessness, and behavioral health. His budgets also updated plans for climate, salmon recovery, education, public safety, state workforce, and more.

At the heart of Inslee’s housing proposal is a referendum that will allow legislators to front-load $4 billion of housing construction over the next six years. The referendum requires approval by legislators, then by a vote of the people. The referendum would fund more than 24,300 housing units over the next four biennia.

“Unfortunately, we no longer have the influx of federal funding we are using today to quickly build thousands of new supportive housing units for people experiencing homelessness,” Inslee said. “I don’t want to lose momentum, and I don’t want the problem to get worse because we aren’t moving fast enough.”

Inslee’s budget proposal also contains significant funding to continue building out the state’s behavioral health system as part of a transformation effort launched in 2018. Inslee is urging legislators to ensure full funding for planned facilities such as the new forensic hospital at Western State Hospital, and has signaled that he will ask local leaders to partner on efforts to reform the competency system that is currently resulting in unsustainable increases in referrals for forensic evaluation and restoration services.

The proposal also outline updated plans for climate, salmon recovery, education, public safety, state workforce, and more.

Read the full story on Gov. Jay Inslee's Medium

New WSU institute would help lead clean energy tech innovation

Gov. Jay Inslee visited Tri-Cities on Monday to announce his proposal to fund a new Institute for Northwest Energy Futures on the Washington State University Tri-Cities campus.

The institute will conduct joint research with partners in science and industry in search of new discoveries. It will introduce students to a spectrum of careers in clean energy, and engage governments to innovate public policy.

“As we advance clean energy, we know we’re going to create jobs, and we know we’re going to face challenges,” said Inslee. “Cougars will work those jobs, and Cougars will invent solutions to those challenges. WSU INEF graduates will help us push the envelope.”

“We are honored and excited that Governor Inslee has included the Institute for Northwest Energy Futures in Washington state’s clean energy initiative,” said WSU Tri-Cities chancellor Sandra Haynes. “This funding would allow INEF to support the Tri-Cities, our region, state, and nation as a leader in transforming energy systems and solving climate issues by bridging science and policy.”

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