Cascade Party
A new path in Washington State politics.
A new path in Washington State politics.
Accountabilty
Shelter-Luxe — Olympia still out of touch with a worsening crisis.
By Krist Novoselić, (February 8, 2026)
HB 2489 restricts how a city or town can intervene in unsafe encampments which are a result of Chronic Addiction Homelessness (CAH). The bill hinges on a definition of “adequate alternative shelter space”. This definition raises the bar of what shelters must provide before any public spaces are made safe from encampments.
The proposal is actually unhinged because, as if by design, it keeps people outside by requiring shelters to meet unattainable criteria:
No current shelter model in Washington is designed to meet this standard.
HB 2489 changes rules, not resources.
The bill compels local jurisdictions towards a shelter standard that the current failing system cannot meet. The bill does not provide more shelter. It decreases the ability to protect public spaces like parks and sidewalks from becoming wastelands of people suffering from chronic addiction and other mental health issues.
If passed, HB 2489 will burden cities and towns with a new definition of shelter, yet provide no funding for the mandate. This is continuing the current approach allowing chronic addiction – and the associated anti-social behavior – to continue unabated.
Rewarding Failure
The bill's 25 sponsors comprise much of the activist left in our state house. These legislators dominate our state’s Democratic Party. It’s remarkable how real measures like point-in-time counts show Chronic Addiction Homelessness getting worse, but the activist left, who promote policy such as HB 2489, keep winning elections.
Congratulations to them on a successful 2025 election. Nevertheless, considering the real human cost on individuals and our communities, their position on the CAH crisis is terrible.
The ruling party proposes sustained shelter access to accommodate pets, partners, support persons and possessions. This offers minimal churn to a segment who are increasingly becoming state clientele.
The bill never defines what a “support person” does. My God! Considering the circumstances; what kind of "support" is this person actually providing? This "buddy" feature represents the lifestyle which advocates of the bill are accomodating.
HB 2489 is a telltale sign. If passed, get ready for the ruling party to claim we're not investing enough public expenditures in the staffing and facilities required for their new kind of Shelter-Luxe. Advocates of the bill are, in effect, normalizing the very problems that are ruining lives and public places. They are also perpetuating their own raison d’etre as homelessness service providers, offering amenities attracting what promises to be an everlasting client base.
The absurdities not only throw more money at a failing system, it makes it worse. Don't think we've reached rock bottom yet. HB 2489 would hand local government with tight budgets a shovel to get in deeper.
Gimme Shelter
The image at the top of the article is devastating. Our ruling party owns this. There is no guarantee the chronically addicted homeless will be attracted to a shelter with amenities. Many are treatment averse.
Considering the severity of some situations, we should be discussing the remedy and scope of civil commitment.
Let's create shelters attuned for people to recover. We must also protect our public spaces from social dysfuction because communities deserve better too.
Krist Novoselić is Cascade Party Chair. He serves on the board of directors in an at-large position.
