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State to start buying hotels, apartment buildings

OLYMPIA, Wash. — On Wednesday, Governor Jay Inslee announced the state will begin purchasing hotels, motels, and apartment buildings to convert them to rapid, supportive housing.

Called the ‘Rapid Capital Acquisition Program,’ it’s a quicker way to get people in shelter than new construction, says the governor. “[The legislature has] approved an all-new approach that allows us to scale up our efforts much more quickly,” he added, saying the state now has hundreds of millions of dollars at its disposal. Some of the money will also be distributed to local governments for similar programs.

In addition to developing additional supportive housing units, Inslee says the Department of Transportation will begin clearing freeways of homeless encampments. “If you’re pitching a tent on the shoulder of I-5, and we provide shelter with supportive services, then you’ll need to move.”

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