The short version

Claim we investigated

Most publicly funded supportive housing in King County doesn't require residents to be sober or in treatment to get or keep their homes.

True. Most funders don't require sobriety or treatment, though building rules ban drug use; 15 of 8,034 beds are labeled sober. The county's main housing program, the state homeless grant's low-barrier rules and the regional homelessness authority's standards don't make sobriety or treatment a condition. In the 2025 federal count, one 15-bed project of 8,034 beds was labeled sober.

Quote or cite this fact-check
FactHub rates the claim “Most publicly funded supportive housing in King County doesn't require residents to be sober or in treatment to get or keep their homes” True (high confidence): Most funders don't require sobriety or treatment, though building rules ban drug use; 15 of 8,034 beds are labeled sober. Reviewed November 10, 2026. https://facthub.org/n/article/king-county-supportive-housing-no-sobriety-rule/3

Key points

What the evidence establishes

  • Established. Only one supportive housing project in Seattle and King County's 2025 federal count, 15 of 8,034 beds, is labeled clean and sober.
  • Established. King County's Health Through Housing, which turned hotels into homes, says tenants won't have to prove sobriety to get in or accept treatment to stay.
  • Established. Washington's homeless grant rules say alcohol or drug use by itself is not a reason to end housing in low-barrier projects.
  • Established. DESC, a nonprofit with 2,182 supportive housing units in Seattle, and Plymouth Housing both say in writing they don't require sobriety.
  • Established. Building rules still ban illegal drug use on the property, and state law lets landlords evict for any drug crime there.
  • Context. Can residents keep using drugs? The rules don't settle it: drug use is banned on paper, but state grant rules say use alone isn't grounds to end housing.
Important context: Permanent supportive housing is an apartment with no time limit and on-site help, such as case managers, for people who were homeless and often disabled. Most of it in King County follows Housing First: people get housing first, without having to stop using drugs or alcohol or enter treatment. That is not the same as permission to use drugs. We rate the claim about sobriety and treatment rules, which the rules settle. Whether residents can keep using drugs in practice is answered in Common questions.

The evidence

The conclusion rests on the combined record. Expand each item to see its role and limitations.

Independence note: This check uses 6 methods across 12 institutions and 1 country or international grouping.
Evidence map
Method Institution / country Year(s) What it shows Key limitation Primary links
Review of the HUD Housing Inventory Count reports for Seattle/King County (CoC WA-500) for 2023, 2024 and 2025, summing family and adult-only supportive housing beds and searching every project name for clean, sober, recovery, abstinence and treatment; review of Traugott Terrace's 2026 application packet U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, King County Regional Homelessness Authority, Catholic Community Services of Western Washington United States 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 Each January, the Seattle and King County homelessness system lists every supportive housing project it counts for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In 2025 the list held 8,034 beds. One project, DESC's Kerner Scott Clean and Sober, with 15 beds, is labeled sober: about 0.2%. None of the other 27 operators, including the largest, Plymouth Housing Group with 2,090 beds, has a sober-labeled project. The same 15 beds were the only sober-labeled ones in 2023 and 2024. One sober building outside the count, Catholic Community Services' Traugott Terrace, requires total abstinence. The federal count records no rule about sobriety, so we counted a project as sober only if its name says so. A sober project with an ordinary name would be missed, and Traugott Terrace's 50 units are not listed under that name; even counting them, sober-labeled housing would be under 1%. Some county Health Through Housing hotel sites are counted as emergency shelter, not supportive housing. FactHub Catholic Community Services of Western Washington FactHub
Review of the Health Through Housing frequently asked questions (May 2024), King County's 2026 housing capital funding handout, the Seattle and King County Continuum of Care standards (All Home, 2018, re-posted in 2025), the regional homelessness authority's 2026 request for proposals for supportive housing services, and Seattle's Housing Funding Policies for 2026 to 2028 King County Department of Community and Human Services, King County Regional Homelessness Authority, Seattle Office of Housing United States 2018, 2024, 2025, 2026 King County's Health Through Housing program, which bought hotels and turned them into housing, says tenants will not have to prove sobriety to get in, nor be forced to accept treatment to stay. The county's 2026 building money requires housing for people leaving homelessness to follow Housing First. The 2018 Continuum of Care standards, re-posted by the regional homelessness authority in 2025, tell programs to promote acceptance of people regardless of sobriety, drug use or completed treatment. The authority's 2026 request for proposals for supportive housing services requires a Housing First approach. Seattle's Office of Housing is the exception: its money may go to low-barrier housing or to sober living. These are the funders' written terms; we did not obtain individual operator contracts. The authority's 2026 request for proposals covers only about 220 units in one state-funded program. Seattle's policy allows sober buildings, so its rules alone don't settle the share; the federal count does. King County Department of Community and Human Services King County Department of Community and Human Services King County Regional Homelessness Authority King County Regional Homelessness Authority Seattle Office of Housing
Review of the King County guidelines for Washington's Consolidated Homeless Grant for 2026 and 2027, HUD's Continuum of Care funding notices for 2024 and 2025 and for 2026, and Executive Order 14321 Washington State Department of Commerce, King County Department of Community and Human Services, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Executive Office of the President United States 2024, 2025, 2026 Washington's Consolidated Homeless Grant says low-barrier projects may not turn people away for current or past drug or alcohol use, and that alcohol or drug use by itself is not a reason to end housing. HUD's grant rules for 2024 and 2025 defined Housing First as no preconditions such as sobriety, with no required services, and bound projects that promised it. HUD's 2026 rules give points for required services and allow sobriety or treatment conditions, but do not require them. The state grant covers only projects it funds, a small part of county supportive housing money. Federal rules changed in 2025 and 2026 and have been in court; the 2026 rules apply to new awards. King County Department of Community and Human Services U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Executive Office of the President
Review of DESC's Housing First and housing web pages and Plymouth Housing's 2026 frequently asked questions DESC, Plymouth Housing United States 2026 DESC owns and manages 2,182 units of supportive housing in Seattle. It says it moves people in without requiring them to accept or stick with treatment or show evidence of sobriety, and that staying is not tied to taking part in services. Plymouth Housing says Housing First provides housing without requiring sobriety, and that it is not allowed to drug test residents. These are the operators' own statements. DESC publishes no lease or house rules we could find, and we did not survey smaller operators. DESC DESC Plymouth Housing
Review of the Health Through Housing frequently asked questions, Plymouth Housing's Kirkland code of conduct (adopted June 2025), Washington's landlord-tenant law (RCW 59.18.130 and 59.18.180) and HUD's 2026 funding notice King County Department of Community and Human Services, Plymouth Housing, Washington State Legislature, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development United States 2024, 2025, 2026 No funder or operator we checked says illegal drug use is allowed. Health Through Housing says residents are subject to the law on illicit drugs. Plymouth's code of conduct for its Kirkland building bans the use of illegal drugs anywhere on the property. Washington law bars tenants from drug-related activity at their rental and lets landlords go straight to an eviction suit. HUD's 2026 rules require grantees not to knowingly permit illicit drug use on their property. Enforcement is flexible: Plymouth's code lets staff respond with support, warnings or legal action, case by case. Plymouth's Kirkland code is one building's, negotiated with that city; we did not find other buildings' codes. Written bans don't show how often they are enforced. King County Department of Community and Human Services Plymouth Housing Washington State Legislature Washington State Legislature U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Review of the University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute's 2024 resident survey results and the Seattle City Auditor's July 2024 audit of places where overdoses and crime are concentrated University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute, Seattle Office of City Auditor United States 2022, 2023, 2024 In a 2024 University of Washington survey of 188 supportive housing residents in the state, half said there was a lot of drug use in their building. A 2024 Seattle City Auditor study of one downtown block found 10 of 11 overdose deaths there in a year were in or outside three supportive housing buildings. The survey covers the whole state and does not say how many residents were in King County. The audit covered one block and counted deaths in or near the buildings, not only residents' deaths. University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute Seattle Office of City Auditor
1. Only 15 of 8,034 supportive housing beds are labeled sober Review of the HUD Housing Inventory Count reports for Seattle/King County (CoC WA-500) for 2023, 2024 and 2025, summing family and adult-only supportive housing beds and searching every project name for clean, sober, recovery, abstinence and treatment; review of Traugott Terrace's 2026 application packet

Each January, the Seattle and King County homelessness system lists every supportive housing project it counts for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In 2025 the list held 8,034 beds. One project, DESC's Kerner Scott Clean and Sober, with 15 beds, is labeled sober: about 0.2%. None of the other 27 operators, including the largest, Plymouth Housing Group with 2,090 beds, has a sober-labeled project. The same 15 beds were the only sober-labeled ones in 2023 and 2024. One sober building outside the count, Catholic Community Services' Traugott Terrace, requires total abstinence.

Limit: The federal count records no rule about sobriety, so we counted a project as sober only if its name says so. A sober project with an ordinary name would be missed, and Traugott Terrace's 50 units are not listed under that name; even counting them, sober-labeled housing would be under 1%. Some county Health Through Housing hotel sites are counted as emergency shelter, not supportive housing.

Verify: Share of supportive housing beds labeled clean and sober, 2023-2025 Traugott Terrace Pre-Application Packet (revised January 2026) Supportive housing beds by operator, January 2025

Of 8,034 King County supportive housing beds, 15 are labeled soberSeattle-King County permanent supportive housing beds in January 2025 by operator. Only one project, DESC's 15-bed Kerner Scott Clean and Sober, is labeled sober.Of 8,034 King County supportive housing beds, 15 are labeled soberBeds by operator, Jan. 2025; only DESC has any labeled soberfacthub.org/n/chart/king-county-supportive-housing-sober-bedsSource: HUD Housing Inventory CountNote: A project counts as sober-labeled only if its name says so; the federal count records no sobriety rule, so a sober project with an ordinary name would be missed.Plymouth Housing Group2,090DESC1,58715 sober bedsKing County Housing Authority (veterans)749Catholic Community Services697Seattle Housing Authority (veterans)557King County Veterans Program370Low Income Housing Institute342Compass Housing Alliance302Chief Seattle Club191Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation185All 18 other operators964
Of 8,034 King County supportive housing beds, 15 are labeled soberSeattle-King County permanent supportive housing beds in January 2025 by operator. Only one project, DESC's 15-bed Kerner Scott Clean and Sober, is labeled sober.Of 8,034 King County supportivehousing beds, 15 are labeled soberBeds by operator, Jan. 2025; only DESC has any labeledsoberSource: HUD Housing Inventory CountPlymouth Housing Group2,090DESC1,58715 sober bedsKing County HousingAuthority (veterans)749Catholic CommunityServices697Seattle Housing Authority(veterans)557King County VeteransProgram370Low Income HousingInstitute342Compass Housing Alliance302Chief Seattle Club191Valley Cities Counselingand Consultation185All 18 other operators964
Supportive housing beds in Seattle and King County's January 2025 federal count, by operator. Only 15 of the 8,034 beds, in DESC's Kerner Scott Clean and Sober, are in a project labeled sober; no other operator has one. Source: HUD Housing Inventory Count. View source chart
2. County and regional funders don't require sobriety or treatment Review of the Health Through Housing frequently asked questions (May 2024), King County's 2026 housing capital funding handout, the Seattle and King County Continuum of Care standards (All Home, 2018, re-posted in 2025), the regional homelessness authority's 2026 request for proposals for supportive housing services, and Seattle's Housing Funding Policies for 2026 to 2028

King County's Health Through Housing program, which bought hotels and turned them into housing, says tenants will not have to prove sobriety to get in, nor be forced to accept treatment to stay. The county's 2026 building money requires housing for people leaving homelessness to follow Housing First. The 2018 Continuum of Care standards, re-posted by the regional homelessness authority in 2025, tell programs to promote acceptance of people regardless of sobriety, drug use or completed treatment. The authority's 2026 request for proposals for supportive housing services requires a Housing First approach. Seattle's Office of Housing is the exception: its money may go to low-barrier housing or to sober living.

Limit: These are the funders' written terms; we did not obtain individual operator contracts. The authority's 2026 request for proposals covers only about 220 units in one state-funded program. Seattle's policy allows sober buildings, so its rules alone don't settle the share; the federal count does.

Verify: Health Through Housing: Frequently Asked Questions (last updated May 2024) King County Housing Finance Program 2026 Capital Funding Round handout (May 15, 2026) Seattle/King County Continuum of Care Interim Policies and Community Standards (All Home, 2018; re-posted by KCRHA in 2025) 2026 ERP Permanent Supportive Housing Services Reprocurement Request for Proposals (August 18, 2026) Housing Funding Policies, Program Years 2026-2028

3. State and federal grant rules say the same Review of the King County guidelines for Washington's Consolidated Homeless Grant for 2026 and 2027, HUD's Continuum of Care funding notices for 2024 and 2025 and for 2026, and Executive Order 14321

Washington's Consolidated Homeless Grant says low-barrier projects may not turn people away for current or past drug or alcohol use, and that alcohol or drug use by itself is not a reason to end housing. HUD's grant rules for 2024 and 2025 defined Housing First as no preconditions such as sobriety, with no required services, and bound projects that promised it. HUD's 2026 rules give points for required services and allow sobriety or treatment conditions, but do not require them.

Limit: The state grant covers only projects it funds, a small part of county supportive housing money. Federal rules changed in 2025 and 2026 and have been in court; the 2026 rules apply to new awards.

Verify: Consolidated Homeless Grant Subgrantee Guidelines, State Fiscal Years 2026-2027 Notice of Funding Opportunity for the FY 2024 and FY 2025 Continuum of Care Competition (FR-6800-N-25) FY 2026 Continuum of Care Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity (CPD-2600-DC-0025) Executive Order 14321: Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets (90 FR 35817, July 29, 2025)

4. Two large operators say they don't require sobriety Review of DESC's Housing First and housing web pages and Plymouth Housing's 2026 frequently asked questions

DESC owns and manages 2,182 units of supportive housing in Seattle. It says it moves people in without requiring them to accept or stick with treatment or show evidence of sobriety, and that staying is not tied to taking part in services. Plymouth Housing says Housing First provides housing without requiring sobriety, and that it is not allowed to drug test residents.

Limit: These are the operators' own statements. DESC publishes no lease or house rules we could find, and we did not survey smaller operators.

Verify: Housing First Housing Plymouth Housing FAQ (Whittier, last updated January 2026)

5. Drug use itself is still banned on paper Review of the Health Through Housing frequently asked questions, Plymouth Housing's Kirkland code of conduct (adopted June 2025), Washington's landlord-tenant law (RCW 59.18.130 and 59.18.180) and HUD's 2026 funding notice

No funder or operator we checked says illegal drug use is allowed. Health Through Housing says residents are subject to the law on illicit drugs. Plymouth's code of conduct for its Kirkland building bans the use of illegal drugs anywhere on the property. Washington law bars tenants from drug-related activity at their rental and lets landlords go straight to an eviction suit. HUD's 2026 rules require grantees not to knowingly permit illicit drug use on their property. Enforcement is flexible: Plymouth's code lets staff respond with support, warnings or legal action, case by case.

Limit: Plymouth's Kirkland code is one building's, negotiated with that city; we did not find other buildings' codes. Written bans don't show how often they are enforced.

Verify: Health Through Housing: Frequently Asked Questions (last updated May 2024) Kirkland Health Through Housing Code of Conduct (adopted June 2025) RCW 59.18.130: Duties of tenant RCW 59.18.180: Tenant's duties, landlord's remedies FY 2026 Continuum of Care Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity (CPD-2600-DC-0025)

6. Residents and auditors report drug use in the buildings Review of the University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute's 2024 resident survey results and the Seattle City Auditor's July 2024 audit of places where overdoses and crime are concentrated

In a 2024 University of Washington survey of 188 supportive housing residents in the state, half said there was a lot of drug use in their building. A 2024 Seattle City Auditor study of one downtown block found 10 of 11 overdose deaths there in a year were in or outside three supportive housing buildings.

Limit: The survey covers the whole state and does not say how many residents were in King County. The audit covered one block and counted deaths in or near the buildings, not only residents' deaths.

Verify: Results from the 2024 WA State Permanent Supportive Housing Surveys of Residents and Staff Addressing Places in Seattle Where Overdoses and Crime are Concentrated: An Evidence-Based Approach (July 9, 2024)

Common questions 8

“Can residents use drugs in their apartments without losing their homes?”

Short answer: Banned, but handled case by case

The rules ban it but handle it case by case. Plymouth's code for its Kirkland building bans illegal drug use anywhere on the property; staff may respond with support, warnings or legal action. State grant rules say drug use by itself is not a reason to end housing in low-barrier projects, though state law lets landlords evict for any drug crime there. We found no count of evictions for drug use. Half of residents in a 2024 statewide survey said their building had a lot of drug use.

See the evidence: Drug use itself is still banned on paper

“Housing First, the approach of housing people before any treatment, means drug use is allowed in the building.”

Short answer: No; it drops entry conditions

No: as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines it, Housing First means no preconditions such as sobriety and no required services. It does not permit drug use. King County's Health Through Housing says substance use legal in any other home is legal in its homes, and that residents are subject to the law on illicit drugs.

See the evidence: State and federal grant rules say the same

“The federal government has ended Housing First.”

Short answer: Turned away, but no sobriety rule

It has turned away from it, but doesn't require sobriety. A July 2025 executive order told HUD to end support for Housing First where the law allows. HUD's 2026 grant rules give points for required services, bar knowingly permitting illicit drug use on site, and tell local systems not to block projects that require sobriety or treatment. They say residents need not be sober or in treatment, or be evicted for a first drug violation.

See the evidence: State and federal grant rules say the same

“People who want sober housing in King County can find it.”

Short answer: Some, mostly privately run

Some exists, mostly outside supportive housing. King County's 70 Oxford Houses, sober homes run and paid for by their residents, had 615 beds in November 2026. Catholic Community Services' Traugott Terrace, with 50 units, requires total abstinence. Seattle's housing office may fund sober living, but the federal count lists only one sober-labeled supportive housing project.

See the evidence: Only 15 of 8,034 supportive housing beds are labeled sober

“Housing First keeps people housed.”

Short answer: Yes, by the county's measure

By the county's measure, yes: in 2025, 93% of Health Through Housing's supportive housing residents stayed housed or moved to other permanent housing; for all its residents, including emergency housing, the figure was 79%. That measures housing, not drug use or health. A separate FactHub check found about 1 in 4 King County overdose deaths so far in 2026 were in subsidized or supportive housing.

“Washington law lets landlords evict tenants for drug use at home.”

Short answer: Yes, for drug crimes there

Yes: state law lets landlords evict for any drug crime at the rental. It bars tenants from drug-related activity there, meaning any violation of the state's drug laws, and lets a landlord skip the usual chance to fix the problem. Health Through Housing says its buildings are subject to these laws. But state grant rules say drug use by itself is not a reason to end housing in low-barrier projects.

See the evidence: Drug use itself is still banned on paper

“Washington lawmakers have tried to require sobriety in state-funded supportive housing.”

Short answer: Yes; the 2026 bill stalled

Yes, but the 2026 bill stalled. House Bill 2370 would have required residents with a substance use disorder to follow treatment advice and abstain from alcohol and unprescribed drugs to stay eligible. It was sent to the Capital Budget Committee on January 12, 2026, and went no further.

“Drug use is common in these buildings.”

Short answer: Residents say so

Residents and auditors say so. In a 2024 statewide survey of 188 supportive housing residents, half said there was a lot of drug use in their building. A 2024 Seattle audit of one downtown block found 10 of 11 overdose deaths there in a year were in or outside three supportive housing buildings.

See the evidence: Residents and auditors report drug use in the buildings

Conclusion

The claim is true as rated. Most publicly funded supportive housing in King County does not require residents to be sober or in treatment, either to move in or to stay.

Two independent lines of evidence agree. The federal count of the county's supportive housing lists one sober-labeled project, 15 of 8,034 beds. Separately, the funders' written terms don't make sobriety or treatment a condition: the county's Health Through Housing program, its building fund, the regional homelessness authority, the state's homeless grant and, until 2026, federal grants. Two large operators, DESC and Plymouth, say the same about their own buildings, though that largely follows from the funders' terms. Seattle's housing office allows sober buildings, but the count shows few exist.

The broader version, that residents can keep using drugs, needs care. On paper, no funder or operator we checked allows it. Codes of conduct ban illegal drug use on the property, state law lets landlords evict for it, and new federal rules bar grantees from permitting it. In practice, state grant rules say drug use alone is not a reason to end housing, enforcement is decided case by case, and residents report a lot of drug use. Our reading is that use is managed rather than allowed. How often drug use alone leads to eviction is unknown; we found no eviction counts.

Supporters of Housing First point to high housing retention, 93% in the county's own program. That measures whether people stay housed, not their drug use or health.

Our confidence is high because the federal count and the funders' own rules, which don't depend on each other, point the same way. What remains unknown is how often drug use leads to eviction, and whether the 2026 federal rules will change local buildings.

How we checked
  1. We defined the claim as whether most publicly funded permanent supportive housing in King County requires residents to be sober or in treatment, either to move in or to keep their housing.
  2. We relied on two independent lines of evidence rather than one source: the federal count of supportive housing beds and the funders' written rules. What operators say about their own buildings largely follows from those rules, so we treat it as support, not as a separate line.
  3. We read the HUD Housing Inventory Count reports for Seattle and King County for 2023, 2024 and 2025, added up supportive housing beds, and searched every project name for clean, sober, recovery, abstinence and treatment.
  4. We read the funders' rules: King County's Health Through Housing questions and answers, its 2026 housing capital handout, the Continuum of Care standards (2018, re-posted in 2025), the regional homelessness authority's 2026 request for proposals for supportive housing services, Seattle's Housing Funding Policies for 2026 to 2028, the King County guidelines for Washington's Consolidated Homeless Grant, HUD's funding notices for 2024 and 2025 and for 2026, and Executive Order 14321.
  5. We read what two large operators publish: DESC's housing pages and Plymouth Housing's frequently asked questions and Kirkland code of conduct. We found no published DESC lease or house rules.
  6. We read Washington's landlord-tenant law on drug-related activity and the text and history of House Bill 2370 (2026).
  7. For practice, we read the University of Washington's 2024 survey of supportive housing residents and the Seattle City Auditor's 2024 overdose audit. We found no published count of evictions for drug use.
  8. For alternatives, we counted King County Oxford Houses in the Oxford House directory on November 10, 2026, and read Traugott Terrace's 2026 application packet.
  9. We rated the sobriety and treatment rules, which the documents settle, and answered the broader drug-use question in Common questions. We recorded each source's limits beside the evidence it supports.

Editorial note: This check covers the written rules of the main public funders and two large operators of permanent supportive housing in King County, Washington, and HUD's count of that housing, as of November 10, 2026. It does not rate any operator or measure how often drug use leads to eviction. Federal rules for new grants are changing and in court; this check will need review after HUD's 2026 awards. No external specialist review has been recorded.

Expert-review status

No external specialist review has been recorded.

Funding and conflicts

Funding: No external funding for this piece.

Ownership: Published by the FactHub Research Team.

Conflicts: None known.

Sources 24

Sources are labeled by kind, with what this fact check takes from each, so readers can check the evidence independently.

  1. FactHub record FactHub. Share of supportive housing beds labeled clean and sober, 2023-2025

    FactHub dataset analysis of HUD Housing Inventory Count reports for Seattle and King County.

    • In each of 2023, 2024 and 2025, one project, DESC's Kerner Scott Clean and Sober with 15 beds, was the only sober-labeled supportive housing; in 2025 that was 15 of 8,034 beds, about 0.2%.

      Not yet checked

  2. FactHub record FactHub. Supportive housing beds and Oxford House beds

    FactHub dataset analysis comparing supportive housing beds with King County's Oxford House beds.

    • Qualifies: King County's 70 Oxford Houses, sober homes run and paid for by their residents, had 615 beds in November 2026.

      Not yet checked

  3. FactHub record FactHub. Supportive housing beds by operator, January 2025

    FactHub dataset analysis of the 125 supportive housing projects in HUD's 2025 Housing Inventory Count for Seattle and King County, grouped by operator.

    • Of 28 operators with supportive housing in the 2025 count, only DESC has a project labeled sober (15 of its 1,587 beds); Plymouth Housing Group, the largest with 2,090 beds, has none.

      Not yet checked

  4. Government King County Department of Community and Human Services. Health Through Housing: Frequently Asked Questions (last updated May 2024)

    The county's questions and answers about Health Through Housing, its program of hotels and buildings bought and turned into housing for people who were homeless.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. Published by the county department that runs the program and defends its approach.

    • Health Through Housing does not require tenants to prove sobriety to get housing or to accept treatment to keep it.

      What the source says
      Tenants will not be required to prove sobriety as a precondition for accessing housing, nor will they be forced to accept treatment as a condition for ongoing residency.
      Q: Will drug and/or alcohol use be permitted in the individual units?, pp. 7-8

      Not yet checked

    • Qualifies: Residents who repeatedly disrupt housing in breach of the code of conduct can be removed.

      What the source says
      anyone who is unable to abide by the code of conduct and continuously disrupts housing for the other residents is at risk of removal from the housing program
      p. 8

      Not yet checked

  5. Government King County Department of Community and Human Services. King County Housing Finance Program 2026 Capital Funding Round handout (May 15, 2026)

    The county's summary of priorities for its 2026 round of money to build affordable and supportive housing.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. The county's own funding terms for housing it pays to build.

    • County building money in 2026 requires housing for people leaving homelessness to follow Housing First.

      What the source says
      Housing serving people exiting homelessness will be required to reflect Housing First practices
      2026 Priorities

      Not yet checked

  6. Government King County Regional Homelessness Authority. Seattle/King County Continuum of Care Interim Policies and Community Standards (All Home, 2018; re-posted by KCRHA in 2025)

    The written standards for homeless programs in the county's federal Continuum of Care, posted by the regional homelessness authority.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. Adopted in 2018 by All Home, the county's former homelessness board, and re-posted in 2025 by the regional homelessness authority, which now runs the Continuum of Care.

    • The 2018 standards tell programs to promote acceptance of people regardless of sobriety, drug use or completed treatment.

      What the source says
      promote acceptance of applicants regardless of their sobriety, use of substances, criminal history, completion of treatment, or participation in services
      Housing First, Policy Statement, p. 55

      Not yet checked

  7. Government King County Regional Homelessness Authority. 2026 ERP Permanent Supportive Housing Services Reprocurement Request for Proposals (August 18, 2026)

    The regional homelessness authority's 2026 call for providers of services in about 220 supportive housing units.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. Current contract terms from the agency that funds these services; it covers one state-funded program, not all supportive housing.

    • The authority's 2026 request for proposals for supportive housing services requires a Housing First approach.

      What the source says
      Services shall be delivered using a Housing First, person-centered, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and racially equitable approach
      Scope of work, p. 6

      Not yet checked

  8. Government Seattle Office of Housing. Housing Funding Policies, Program Years 2026-2028

    The rules Seattle uses to fund affordable and supportive housing.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. Adopted by ordinance for the city office that funds the housing.

    • Qualifies: Seattle's housing funding may go to both low-barrier Housing First buildings and sober living.

      What the source says
      supportive low-barrier (Housing First), recovery-based (sober living), and others
      Rental Housing Program, p. 9

      Not yet checked

  9. Government King County Department of Community and Human Services. Consolidated Homeless Grant Subgrantee Guidelines, State Fiscal Years 2026-2027

    King County's version of the Washington Department of Commerce rules for the state's main homeless housing grant, posted by the regional homelessness authority.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. Grant terms written by the state and county agencies that fund homeless housing; they apply only to projects this grant funds.

    • Low-barrier projects may not turn people away for current or past drug or alcohol use.

      What the source says
      Having active or a history of alcohol and/or substance use
      Low Barrier Housing, intake criteria

      Not yet checked

    • Drug or alcohol use by itself is not a reason to end someone's housing in a low-barrier project.

      What the source says
      Alcohol and/or substance use in and of itself is not considered a reason for termination
      Low Barrier Housing, project participation

      Not yet checked

  10. Government U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Notice of Funding Opportunity for the FY 2024 and FY 2025 Continuum of Care Competition (FR-6800-N-25)

    HUD's rules for its main competitive homeless housing grants for 2024 and 2025.

    Reliability: Federal grant notice; its Housing First definition and scoring were reversed by HUD in 2025-26.

    • HUD defined Housing First as admission with no preconditions such as sobriety, and housing not tied to taking part in services.

      What the source says
      Housing First. A model of housing assistance that prioritizes rapid placement and stability in permanent housing in which admission does not have preconditions (such as sobriety or a minimum income threshold) and in which housing assistance is not conditioned upon participation in services.
      Section I.B.2.b.(15), Definitions

      Not yet checked

    • Projects funded after saying they would use Housing First had to do so.

      What the source says
      will be required to do so
      CoC Application scoring, Housing First

      Not yet checked

  11. Government U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FY 2026 Continuum of Care Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity (CPD-2600-DC-0025)

    HUD's rules for its 2026 competitive homeless housing grants, which turn away from Housing First.

    Reliability: Federal grant notice issued June 1, 2026. A federal court vacated it in August 2026 and an appeals court stayed that ruling in September, so it governs new awards.

    • Qualifies: HUD's 2026 rules give up to 10 points to projects that require taking part in supportive services, based on individual need.

      What the source says
      Up to 10 points for projects that indicate that they have or will incorporate supportive service participation requirements in their program design, based on individual need in accordance with 24 CFR 578.75(h)
      Section V, Service Participation, p. 93

      Not yet checked

    • Qualifies: Applicants certify they will not knowingly permit illicit drug use or distribution on their property.

      What the source says
      knowingly permit the use or distribution of illicit drugs on property under their control
      Required certification, p. 62

      Not yet checked

    • The certification does not require residents to be sober or in treatment, or require evicting them for a first drug violation.

      What the source says
      This certification is not a requirement that program participants must be sober in order to receive assistance, participate in treatment in order to receive assistance, or be evicted or exited from assistance for a first-time violation of a drug-related program policy or lease requirement
      Required certification, p. 63

      Not yet checked

    • Qualifies: HUD's 2026 rules tell local systems not to block projects that require residents to be sober or in treatment.

      What the source says
      Not restrict or prohibit CoC-funded housing projects that require program participants to be sober or to participate in treatment as a condition of assistance in accordance with 24 CFR 578
      CoC policy scoring, p. 87

      Not yet checked

  12. Government Executive Office of the President. Executive Order 14321: Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets (90 FR 35817, July 29, 2025)

    Presidential order directing federal agencies on homelessness policy.

    Reliability: Official text in the Federal Register; it directs agencies and does not itself change local leases.

    • Qualifies: The order told HUD and HHS to end support for Housing First where the law allows.

      What the source says
      ending support for “housing first” policies that deprioritize accountability and fail to promote treatment, recovery, and self-sufficiency
      Sec. 5(a)

      Not yet checked

  13. Party to the dispute DESC. Housing First

    DESC's description of how it runs its supportive housing.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. A large Seattle supportive housing operator, describing its own model; it is publicly funded and a leading advocate of Housing First.

    • DESC moves people in without requiring them to accept or comply with treatment.

      What the source says
      Move people into housing directly from streets and shelters without preconditions of treatment acceptance or compliance
      Housing First page

      Not yet checked

    • Staying in DESC housing is not tied to taking part in services.

      What the source says
      Continued tenancy is not dependent on participation in services
      Housing First page

      Not yet checked

    • DESC says Housing First moves people in without requiring finished treatment or evidence of sobriety.

      What the source says
      Without clinical prerequisites like completion of a course of treatment or evidence of sobriety
      Housing First page

      Not yet checked

  14. Party to the dispute DESC. Housing

    DESC's overview of the housing it owns and manages.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. The operator's own count of its units.

    • DESC owns and manages 2,182 units of supportive housing in Seattle.

      What the source says
      Today, DESC owns and manages 2,182 units of supportive housing throughout Seattle
      Housing page

      Not yet checked

  15. Party to the dispute Plymouth Housing. Plymouth Housing FAQ (Whittier, last updated January 2026)

    Plymouth Housing's answers to neighbors' questions about a new building.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. A large Seattle supportive housing operator explaining its model to neighbors of a planned building.

    • Plymouth provides housing without requiring sobriety.

      What the source says
      Housing First provides housing without requiring sobriety
      FAQ, sobriety answer

      Not yet checked

    • Plymouth says it is not allowed to drug test residents.

      What the source says
      we are not permitted to drug test our residents
      FAQ, residents' rights answer

      Not yet checked

  16. Party to the dispute Plymouth Housing. Kirkland Health Through Housing Code of Conduct (adopted June 2025)

    The conduct rules, a condition of tenancy, for Plymouth's county-funded building in Kirkland.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. One building's code, negotiated with the City of Kirkland; other buildings' codes may differ.

    • Qualifies: Residents and guests may not use, sell or make illegal drugs anywhere on the property.

      What the source says
      shall not engage in or assist with the use, distribution, sale, or manufacture of any illegal or controlled substance
      Term 7

      Not yet checked

    • Staff may respond to violations with support, warnings or legal action that may end the tenancy, decided case by case.

      What the source says
      offer support and opportunity for remediation, issue warning notices, and/or pursue legal action that may lead to termination of tenancy. Violations and consequences will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis
      Compliance section

      Not yet checked

  17. Government Washington State Legislature. RCW 59.18.130: Duties of tenant

    Washington's Residential Landlord-Tenant Act section on tenants' duties.

    Reliability: State law, current as published by the Legislature.

    • Qualifies: Tenants must not engage in drug-related activity at their rental, defined as any violation of three state drug-law chapters.

      What the source says
      Not engage in drug-related activity at the rental premises … "Drug-related activity" means that activity which constitutes a violation of chapter 69.41, 69.50, or 69.52 RCW
      Subsection (6)

      Not yet checked

  18. Government Washington State Legislature. RCW 59.18.180: Tenant's duties, landlord's remedies

    Washington's landlord-tenant law on what a landlord may do when a tenant breaks their duties.

    Reliability: State law, current as published by the Legislature.

    • Qualifies: For drug-related activity, a landlord may skip the usual chance to fix the problem and go straight to an eviction suit.

      What the source says
      the compliance provisions of this section do not apply and the landlord may proceed directly to an unlawful detainer action
      Subsection (3)

      Not yet checked

  19. Academic University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute. Results from the 2024 WA State Permanent Supportive Housing Surveys of Residents and Staff

    Summary of a 2024 survey of supportive housing residents in Washington about drug use and services in their buildings.

    Reliability: University research institute; the survey covered 188 residents statewide, not a random sample, with no King County breakdown.

    • Half of 188 supportive housing residents surveyed in Washington in 2024 said there was a lot of drug use in their building.

      What the source says
      188 residents in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs completed a survey … 50% of participants felt there was “a lot” of drug use in their building
      Key Findings from the Resident Survey Report

      Not yet checked

  20. Government Seattle Office of City Auditor. Addressing Places in Seattle Where Overdoses and Crime are Concentrated: An Evidence-Based Approach (July 9, 2024)

    Seattle City Auditor's study of places where overdoses and crime are concentrated, with a case study of one block of Third Avenue.

    Reliability: The city's independent auditor, reporting to the City Council; it used Medical Examiner data for one block.

    • On one downtown block, 10 of 11 overdose deaths from July 2022 to July 2023 were in or outside three supportive housing buildings.

      What the source says
      10 of the 11 fatal overdoses (91 percent) occurred in or outside of the three permanent supportive housing buildings at the location
      Report Highlights, p. 4

      Not yet checked

  21. Party to the dispute Catholic Community Services of Western Washington. Traugott Terrace Pre-Application Packet (revised January 2026)

    Application packet for a Seattle supportive housing building for people in early recovery.

    Reliability: The operator's own rules for this building: 12 transitional and 38 permanent units.

    • Qualifies: Traugott Terrace, with 12 transitional and 38 permanent units, requires total abstinence.

      What the source says
      Traugott Terrace requires total abstinence
      Eligibility requirements

      Not yet checked

  22. Government Washington State Legislature. House Bill 2370 (2026): Concerning assessment and support requirements for housing

    Text of a 2026 bill to require sobriety in state-funded transitional and supportive housing.

    Reliability: Bill as introduced by six Republican House members; it was not passed.

    • The bill would have required residents with a substance use disorder to follow treatment advice and abstain from alcohol and unprescribed drugs to stay eligible.

      What the source says
      comply with all substance use treatment recommendations and abstain … from alcohol and unprescribed drugs as a condition of remaining
      Section 2(1)(b)

      Not yet checked

  23. Government Washington State Legislature. HB 2370 bill summary and history

    The Legislature's record of the bill's progress.

    Reliability: Official legislative record.

    • The bill was referred to the Capital Budget Committee on January 12, 2026, with no later action.

      What the source says
      First reading, referred to Capital Budget.
      Bill history, 2026 Regular Session

      Not yet checked

  24. Government King County Department of Community and Human Services. DCHS shares new data showing strong housing stability and improved health outcomes for residents (June 16, 2026)

    County blog post on Health Through Housing results for 2025.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. The county department that runs the program reporting its own results.

    • Qualifies: In 2025, 93% of Health Through Housing's supportive housing residents, and 79% of all its residents, stayed housed or moved to permanent housing.

      What the source says
      93% of permanent supportive housing residents remained housed or moved to other permanent housing. 79% of all HTH residents remained housed or transitioned to permanent housing.
      Health Through Housing continues to deliver strong outcomes

      Not yet checked

  25. FactHub chart king-county-supportive-housing-sober-beds

Update history 3 changes, last

  1. First version.
  2. The answer now says building rules ban drug use, so the rating isn't read as saying residents may keep using drugs (2516079270808463436-6535335c7d0414520ac8bf27b28afece). How We Checked no longer counts operators' statements as a separate line of evidence, since they follow from the funders' rules (2516079270803741091-611463746c1f2670eb56eaf75ec9b736). The conclusion now says how often drug use alone leads to eviction is unknown, and the county evidence notes that the authority's 2026 request for proposals covers only about 220 units in one state-funded program (2516079270806016666-4f65cbdd774dd542c8e24fff20738a7f).
  3. Chart upgrade: the lead chart now shows supportive housing beds by operator, with DESC's 15 sober-labeled beds called out, instead of a sober bar too thin to see and an Oxford House bar counted at a different date. The bed-count evidence adds that no other operator has a sober-labeled project.

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