Washington § 28B.50.916 - Students experiencing homelessness and foster youth program.

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, each community and technical college may implement a program to provide assistance to students experiencing homelessness and to students who were in the foster care system when they graduated high school. The program must provide certain accommodations to these students that may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) Access to laundry facilities;

(b) Access to storage;

(c) Access to locker room and shower facilities;

(d) Reduced-price meals or meal plans, and access to food banks;

(e) Access to technology;

(f) Access to short-term housing or housing assistance, especially during seasonal breaks; and

(g) Case management services.

(2) The community and technical colleges may also establish plans to develop surplus property for affordable housing to accommodate the needs of students experiencing homelessness and students who were in the foster care system when they graduated high school.

(3) The community and technical colleges shall leverage existing community resources by making available to students in the program information that is available for individuals experiencing homelessness, including through not-for-profit organizations, the local housing authority, and the department of commerce's office of homeless youth.

(4) The community and technical colleges participating in the program shall annually provide a joint report to the appropriate committees of the legislature in accordance with RCW 43.01.036 beginning December 1, 2023, that includes at least the following information:

(a) The number of students experiencing homelessness or food insecurity, and the number of students who were in the foster care system when they graduated high school who attended a community or technical college during the program. The college board shall coordinate with all of the community and technical colleges to collect voluntary data on how many students experiencing homelessness or food insecurity are attending the community and technical colleges;

(b) The number of students assisted by the program;

(c) Strategies for accommodating students experiencing homelessness or food insecurity, and former foster care students; and

(d) Legislative recommendations for how students experiencing homelessness or food insecurity, and former foster care students could be better served.

(5) For purposes of this section, "program" means the students experiencing homelessness and foster youth program.