EVERETT — Snohomish County will test county-owned supportive housing for methamphetamine contamination at least once a year, under an ordinance council members passed Wednesday.
The new rule will apply to two former motels the county purchased for about $13.7 million in 2022 to convert into 150 supportive housing units. The to-be-called “New Start Centers” in Everett and Edmonds will serve as temporary shelter with connections to therapy, substance use disorder treatment and other services.
Meth contamination discovered at the motels has long delayed the project. The county is now on track to open the centers in 2025.
Council member Nate Nehring pitched the ordinance in February to target drug use in county-owned housing. The ordinance, passed in a 3-2 council vote, requires annual testing for meth and other chemical hazards.
Council members Sam Low and Jared Mead joined Nehring to pass the ordinance. Snohomish County is now the first county in the state to mandate meth contamination testing.
“I, for one, would be appalled if I had to live in one of these facilities and I heard leaders arguing, ‘Well, they may be contaminated with meth, but we’re not quite sure how sick that’s going to make us, so we’re not going to bother testing for it,”’ Nehring told council. “I think we owe these folks who are living and working in these facilities, the same dignity that we would expect to receive ourselves.”
In Washington, any property with meth levels at or above 1.5 micrograms per 100 square centimeters is considered contaminated and requires state-certified cleanup. There is no federal or state contamination standard for fentanyl or other opioids.
Council member Megan Dunn proposed two amendments to Nehring’s measure. In the first, Dunn included employee and contractor housing, as well as the jail. Under Dunn’s proposal, the county would only test vacant units, unless the tests are for asbestos or lead. The second amendment would have expanded testing to include “hazardous and toxic substances for which there are local, state, or federal decontamination standards.”
Both of Dunn’s proposals failed by 3-2 council votes.
Low said it was “dangerous and fiscally irresponsible for the county to get into the housing business.”
“Since the county has decided to move into the role of landlord for affordable and supportive housing, it is critical that we ensure safe and healthy spaces are being provided for tenants and staff,” Nehring said in a press release shortly after the vote. “This testing requirement will give county staff the information they need to detect contamination early and, if necessary, take action to remedy the contamination before further damage is caused.
Nehring argued regular testing would save taxpayer dollars while keeping residents and workers safe.
“Clearly, there’s an issue with these housing facilities and contamination,” Nehring said at a council meeting in March. “Testing (would) ensure that when there is this contamination issue, we’re able to know about it.”
Council Democrats debated the rule’s potential unintended consequences, including privacy violations and resident displacement. At housing complexes across the county, meth cleanup efforts have strained cash-strapped nonprofits and displaced vulnerable residents for months.
The council had already pushed the vote, hoping to review new statewide drug contamination guidance. Since December, state and county health officials have worked to develop a new interpretation of state contamination law.
Council member Strom Peterson asked his colleagues to keep waiting, until the state finishes an in-progress study on the issue.
The state plans to advise against mandating tenant evacuations or clean-up for properties that are contaminated from drug use, James Lewis, health officer for Snohomish County, said in an interview last month. There’s no reliable evidence that contamination from drug use poses long-term health risks, he said.
For Lewis and council Democrats, homelessness poses a much greater health risk.
“We have strong evidence that displacement increases the risk of death and adverse outcomes,” Dunn said last month. “We should provide housing with dignity.”
Sydney Jackson: 425-339-3430; sydney.jackson@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @_sydneyajackson.
Jordan Hansen: 425-339-3046; jordan.hansen@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jordyhansen.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
Gallery
