Pasco blocks new sex offender homes. But it’s only temporary
The Pasco City Council approved a six-month block on any applications for transitional housing projects for convicted sex offenders, also called secure community transition facilities.
The topic was added to the agenda for Tuesday’s regular council meeting at the beginning of the meeting.
Pasco City Manager Harold Stewart told the council Tuesday that staff has been reviewing ordinances and policies and consulting with the city attorney about regulating the facilities.
“Our ordinances don’t establish any type of process or requirements for the location of those facilities within our community,” Stewart said.
“This buys us time to allow for public input and explore options and alternatives that we can legally pursue,” he added.
The council unanimously approved the block on applications.
“I think this gives city staff a good (amount of) time to put something in place that is responsible. On this topic, I think we want to be proactive and not reactive,” Councilmember Mark Figueroa said.
Within the next six months, the city will develop a permanent ordinance for the council to consider.
Stewart said that the state mandates that these facilities open in Washington cities, and that Pasco may consider implementing an ordinance similar to West Richland’s new policy to only allow them in light industrial areas.
There also are plans for community input sessions during the six-month period.
“Seeing the citizen input there on the other side of the river, I imagine our citizens would want to speak up also,” Mayor Charles Grimm said.
Also this week, Kennewick’s city government on Tuesday called on Gov. Bob Ferguson and his state agencies to “immediately halt” a transitional housing project for convicted sex offenders at a home on the corner of 8th Avenue and Edison Street.
It’s the latest development in the community battle to stop a “less restrictive alternative” facility from opening this summer.
Last week, the planning commission in West Richland held a public hearing to consider forcing future “secure transition facilities” into light industrial zones.
This story was originally published February 18, 2026 at 12:06 PM.
