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Sarah Mittelman says expanding housing alone does not guarantee improved outcomes in Clark County
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
A friend of mine recently posted this on Facebook about HB 2266: “HB 2266: Preventable or inevitable? Crime, chaos, and deaths coming to your neighborhood soon.”
Sarah Mittelman
He is not a political operative or an online agitator. He is an ordinary resident of Legislative District 49 who has spent his career caring for others. I know that firsthand because I worked alongside him for years. He asked an honest question, and he did not get many responses.
That alone says something.
Maybe everyday residents are tired of arguing. Maybe they do not want to be attacked for asking honest questions. But ordinary people should still be allowed to raise concerns about what is happening in their own communities. Someone should answer him, and I will.
I recently attended the Clark County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Gala and heard Jonathan Choe speak. His message was simple: now is not the time to stay quiet. Ordinary people need to pay attention, speak honestly, and hold public officials accountable.
That is exactly what this moment calls for.
HB 2266 is not a treatment bill. It is a zoning and siting bill. It expands where permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, indoor emergency shelters, and indoor emergency housing can be placed while limiting the ability of local governments to restrict those siting decisions. That matters here in Vancouver and throughout LD 49.
It especially matters along the Fourth Plain corridor, where many communities are already struggling and already carrying more than their fair share. If this bill works the way many residents fear it will, those neighborhoods will likely be asked to absorb even more, with even less say.
The deeper problem is not just where this housing may go. It is that these decisions are being made without real representation from the communities expected to bear the consequences. I do not believe any neighborhood should be forced to absorb state-mandated solutions without meaningful local input. We need stronger representation in Olympia, leaders who live in these communities, understand these challenges firsthand, and are willing to address the root causes before imposing more mandates on local neighborhoods.
I am not speaking as an outsider. I live here too. My home is not just where I sleep at night. Like many Clark County families, it is also one of my biggest assets. Homeowners have every right to care about policies that affect neighborhood conditions, safety, and long-term property values.
Supportive housing may keep someone housed. That matters. But it is not the same as treatment or recovery. Expanding housing alone does not guarantee improved outcomes in Clark County.
Good intentions are not enough. Clark County deserves more than slogans and sitting mandates. Voters still have the power to change course. Now is the time for everyday residents to speak up, stay engaged, and demand leaders who will listen to our communities and pursue policies grounded in evidence, accountability, local input, and real outcomes.
Sarah Mittelman
Vancouver
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