End of Regular Session down in Olympia – Two Weeks until the Beginning of Special Session!

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Kathryn Murdock - UCC Social Justice Intern

Sunday marked the end of the 105 day regular session down in Olympia with no budget agreement in sight. Governor Inslee has called all the legislators back down to Olympia for a special session to work out the budget beginning on May 13. While it may seem frustrating that the legislators couldn’t work out a budget in 105 days, it’s actually really great for housing and homelessness advocates to have an extended session. A special session means that we are more likely to end up with a final budget that reflects what we want: adequate investment in affordable housing (at least $65 million for the Housing Trust Fund + $28.5 million allotted to affordable housing projects by the House) and investment in the services that the people we serve need most, including Disability Lifeline (Housing and Essential Needs and Aged, Blind and Disabled) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).

Your legislators will be back home in their district for the next two weeks, so now it is MORE important than ever before to stay in touch with your legislators. Email them or better yet invite them to your programs and show them how your programs – especially programs that are funded by the Housing Trust Fund or Housing and Essential Needs programs – work! If we don’t keep in touch with our elected officials, we will not end up with the budget that we want in the end – one that protects affordable housing and services for our homeless and low-income neighbors.

Jay Inslee signing the Fair Tenant Screening Act (SB 5568)

Governor Inslee signing the Fair Tenant Screening Act (SB 5568)

The end of regular session also marks a time to celebrate our advocacy as a community this session and what it helped us to win. Our collective advocacy helped us pass part 2 of the Fair Tenant Screening Act, Foster Care to 21, and 72-hour notification for youth shelters. These wins are truly something to be proud of so let’s build on them and ask our legislators to pass a budget that Washingtonians can be proud of!

Bill Affecting Youth who are Displaced or Homeless Becomes Law

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Ally Seidel

Governor Inslee signs 72 hour notification bill into law on February 27, 2013.

Governor Inslee signs SB 5147 into law on February 27, 2013. Photo by The Mockingbird Society.

Update to previous post on February 20, 2013: Huge Success for Youth! But there’s still work to be done!

Governor Inslee signed SB 5147, a bill concerning a 72 hour notification period for agencies to inform parents of a juvenile seeking crisis services, into law on February 27. This allows young people who leave their homes in crisis, and the shelter staff who want to help them, more time to connect and work out safe resolutions. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to correct this flaw in the law: Columbia Legal Services, The Mockingbird Society, Youthcare, Friends of Youth and youth shelter providers across the state, as well as parents, law enforcement, and legislators who realize that it’s far better to make sure youth can turn to shelter workers than to discourage them from seeking help.

We also have our eye on the Youth Opportunities Act, HB1651, as it moves through the legislature. By sealing juvenile court records to the public, except in the case of serious violent offenses or sex crimes, this bill would remove barriers for young people seeking opportunities, and keep them from paying for childhood mistakes in their adult lives. We don’t need more barriers for folks trying to get housing, please encourage your legislators to support the Youth Opportunities Act by contacting them today at 1-800-562-6000!

Huge Success for Youth! But there’s still work to be done!

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Kathryn Murdock - UCC Social Justice Intern

It is true, bipartisanship really does still exist! The 72-hour notification bill (SB 5147/HB 1250), one of the Coalition’s legislative priorities, passed the Senate unanimously and easily passed in the House this past week with only seven voting against it.

This bill sought to reinstate an important part of the Becca Bill which gave youth shelters up to 72 hours to notify a youth’s guardian after they checked into a youth shelter. It had previously been law, but had sunset and had decreased the number of hours down to only eight. Eight hours is not enough time for the shelter to engage with youth and be able to provide rehabilitative services. Many youth also come to shelters after they have runaway from their families and eight hours does not allow families enough time to resolve conflicts and reunify. Thanks to all the legislators of our State, our youth will have a safe and stable place to stay and they will not have to avoid shelters in fear of their parents being notified immediately. We are now asking Governor Jay Inslee to sign the bill into law on Youth Advocacy Day this Friday, February 22 to show the youth of Washington State that their governor and legislators are behind them.

Even though we have a very exciting win, youth advocacy does not stop here. As Youth Advocacy Day approaches, one of the Coalition’s priorities, the Youth Opportunities Act (HB 1651 / SB 5689 ), is still under consideration. Currently Washington is one of only 8 states that makes juvenile records open to the public and available to be published online. This means that people with criminal records from their youth, before the age of 18, are subject to additional barriers accessing housing, education, and employment. The Youth Opportunities Act would seal juvenile records to the public, except in the case of serious violent offenses, and prohibit courts from disseminating or selling this information. This information is currently sold to background check companies who make money at the expense of youth and young adults.

The Youth Opportunities Act would remove barriers for young people seeking opportunities, and keep them from paying for childhood mistakes in their adult lives. Please take action to move this bill out of committee and onto the house floor by making a public comment on the Senate version of the bill or by calling your legislators using the legislative hotline, 1-800-562-6000.

P.S. For a great summary of youth advocacy around these and other important issues, check out Senator Frockt’s blog post!

The One Night Count: Community-powered assessment of our regional crisis

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Alison Eisinger

Photo by Aaron Piazza

The One Night Count of people who are homeless in our King County communities is just 3 days away. Nearly 1,000 volunteers will disperse across the county in the early pre-dawn hours this Friday, January 25. They will stay quiet, check their maps, and count every single person they see huddling under a blanket, staying in a tent, and sleeping in a car. Volunteer counters will bear witness to people’s ingenuity and desperation as they try to survive another cold winter night outside.

Later that morning, after each team’s results are compiled into our big spreadsheet, we will all feel sorrow and amazement at how many people we have counted. Whether the numbers are slightly up or slightly down, it is a near certainty that well over 2300 people will have spent the night outdoors. For many people, indignation and sadness will turn to inspiration and determination, as people who have volunteered to help with the Count resolve to take action, to make it a personal and public priority to bring down the numbers of people without shelter, and without housing.

The Coalition plays a unique role in organizing the One Night Count. We begin work with our partners in October, work that culminates in late January when more than 130 team captains gather their teams, pick up maps and flashlights and waterproof tally sheets, and head out into the cold night. This “street count” is the largest of several projects that the Coalition coordinates for the One Night Count. We also implement several special projects including: our Veteran’s Interview Project, a survey conducted the day after the street count to help us know more about veterans who lack basic shelter; special sleepovers for homeless youth and young adults; and our Bus Count of people who ride all night on buses, attempting to stay warm and safe.

Why we need revenue on the table in the 2013 State Legislative Session

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Ally Seidel

Early this week, Governor Gregoire released a 2013-2015 biennial budget, outlining how she plans to close the state’s $970 million deficit. The good news is that the Governor included new revenue in her proposal. The bad news is that even with this revenue, she proposed to eliminate cash assistance to 18,000 blind and disabled adults and to completely eliminate the State Food Assistance Program (along with additional cuts to Working Connections Child Care and TANF).

Since 2009, Washington has made $11 billion in cuts to state services that protect the health and safety of our communities – we cannot afford any more. Governor-elect Jay Inslee has thus far not indicated any willingness to consider the need to raise revenue in order to balance the state’s budge. It is clear that including new revenue will be crucial to avoid further devastation to our state’s infrastructure and safety net programs.

See the Coalition’s postcard campaign for our message to Governor-elect Jay Inslee about why revenue needs to be on the table this session. (Download, print, and send your own!)

At our December General Membership meeting, we covered some of the key issues and positive legislation we’ll be speaking up about in the 2013 Legislative Session. Thanks to the more than 50 people who attended, and to our friends from Columbia Legal Services and the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance who dove into policy details and opportunities for our members to help educate legislators about these issues and proposals:

Invest in the Housing Trust Fund to built more affordable housing across Washington State
Pass Part 2 of the Fair Tenant Screening Act
Enact REVENUE to Avoid Cuts to Services and Programs
Protect and strengthen life-saving programs:
- Disability Lifeline Programs: Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) and Aged, Blind, and Disabled (ABD) Assistance
  - Increase the Aged, Blind & Disabled cash grant
  - Restore a modest cash grant for Housing and Essential Needs recipients to buy their own essential needs: Everyone needs a little cash
  - Include ADATSA clients in eligibility for Housing and Essential Needs program (2013 Briefing Paper from King County)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  - Restore cash grant to pre-2011 levels, before 15% reduction
  - Carve out more exceptions to the 5 year life-time limit
  - Increase time allowed for participants to pursue education and vocational training from 12 to 24 months
  - See the TANF priorities of the Welfare Advocate Group here: fact sheet
Pass Legislation that Addresses Youth Homelessness
- Reinstate the 72-hour notification rule for youth shelters (fact sheet)
- Expand the Extended Foster Care Program to allow ALL youth aging
  out of foster care to have access to safe housing until age 21
- Remove barriers for rehabilitated youth by making youth juvenile offense records private (fact sheet)
- Provide legal representation to vulnerable foster children and youth (fact sheet)
- Contact our partners at The Mockingbird Society or Columbia Legal Services for more information on these bills.

The Coalition also strongly supports the whole Washington Low Income Housing Alliance’s legislative agenda for the 2013 Session.

2012 Youth and Young Adult Summit: Democracy at Work

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Kathryn Murdock - UCC Social Justice Intern

Many people begin their internships with standard orientation procedures like familiarizing yourself with your computer, the filing system, office supplies and setting up voicemail and email. Not me – I spent my first day of my United Church of Christ Social Justice Internship with SKCCH at the Coalition’s Youth and Young Adult Advocacy Summit and I could not have asked for a better introduction to this small but mighty organization.

I was extremely inspired by the 25 youth and young adults who participated in the Summit on September 10-11 and I left each day far more educated on the struggles displaced youth and young adults face because I spoke with them directly about it. It was amazing to have the opportunity to sit down with these young people and listen to the inventive solutions they came up with that could solve their daily struggles. I could not have learned all I did in those two days even if I had sat at a desk for weeks reading up on issues affecting young people who are homeless.

On day one of the Youth Summit, the participants, with support from peer leaders and service providers came up with four priorities after rounds of voting and then divided themselves into groups as to which priority they felt most passionate about. The priorities for this year were:

Housing
Transportation
Shelter
Employment

Each group then came up with key talking points and solutions that they wanted to present to the city council member who they would be talking to on the second day. A detailed outline of these points and solutions is below.

2012 Priorities: Homeless Youth and Young Adult Summit

On the first day we also had some amazing speakers present at the summit including Josh Hicks, Jim Theofolis, Steve Daschle, Kim Jones and Nancy Amidei. These experienced advocates both inspired and taught the youth and young adults about advocacy and the importance of civic engagement. We would like to thank them for taking the time to participate in our summit. The participants were constantly referring to their advice as they prepared to speak to the Councilmembers.

Jim Theofolis presenting to participants

The second day of the Youth Summit began with time for groups to prepare their topics and presentations for Councilmembers. Crystal Shaw, from the Human Services Department of the City of Seattle, was instrumental on this day. She oriented the youth and young adults to the City Council that morning and went above and beyond by lending support to participants and organizers throughout the day.

The groups then went up and presented to City of Seattle Councilmembers Mike O’Brien, Sally Bagshaw, Richard Conlin, and Sally Clark. A collective group also presented to the Human Services Department on all four priorities in the afternoon. We would like to thank all the Councilmembers involved as well as the Human Services Department for ensuring that this Summit was a very positive experience of civic engagement for the participants. Officials took the time to really listen, giving this group, who sometimes feels silenced, a voice on policy issues important to their daily life.

Employment Priority Group Meeting with Sally Clark

This Youth Summit could not have happened without the amazing time, energy, and dedication of our Youth and Young Adults Committee Co-Chairs, Melissa King from Friends of Youth and Kathleen Murphy from ROOTS Young Adult Shelter.

Supporting Homeless Youth Advocacy at the Local Level

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Ally Seidel

Just a week into my AmeriCorps VISTA term with the Coalition last September, I was lucky enough to sit in on SKCCH’s 2011 Youth Advocacy Summit and chat with participants about the challenges they face living without a stable home in King County. The Homeless Coalition’s Youth Advocacy Summit is a two day event for homeless and at-risk youth and young adults to identify and discuss policy issues that are most important to them. Youth learn about and practice advocacy skills by bringing identified issues before City of Seattle and King County officials. I found last year’s Summit to be informative and inspiring – for both the youth and the elected officials involved. Youth were able to voice their opinions on issues from the need for more low-income friendly transportation to the lack of public toilets and lockers. Their top 5 priorities were the following:

Housing/Services for Unaccompanied Minors
Career Development
Transportation/Metro
Public Storage and Lockers
Service Stewardship

More details here: 2011 Youth Summit Participant Priorities

This year’s Youth and Young Adult Advocacy Summit is less than 3 weeks away: September 10 and 11. Through presentations by guests speakers like Nancy Amidei (Civic Engagement Project), members of the Seattle Human Services Coalition, and staff from the Mockingbird Society, youth participants will learn about how Seattle and King County governments set policies and budgets and how their voices can make a difference in policy decisions that affect their day to day lives. Over two days participants will work to identify issues that they care about, prepare presentations, and then meet with elected officials to bring their voices to bear on policy decision-making around the issues they care about that are affected by City and County budgeting decisions.

Members of SKCCH’s Youth & Young Adults Committee (made up of area social service and housing providers) designed this year’s annual Youth Advocacy Summit to be a meaningful entry into civic engagement for young people who have already experienced disenfranchisement. SKCCH works to make sure that the people who are directly affected by public policies are part of dialogue, debate, and decision-making. The Youth Summit is an exciting and important way to do just that:

Engage young people in expressing their opinions, identifying priorities, and speaking up powerfully
Inform local decision-makers who often don’t hear from youth or people who are homeless or struggling to stay housed
Support active and informed participation in democracy to make sure that Everyone Counts

Our 2012 Youth Advocacy Summit will be held on September 10th and 11th and will include youth from across King County who have personally experienced homelessness. Questions about the 2012 Youth Summit? Contact Melissa King, co-chair of SKCCH’s Youth and Young Adult Committee, at melissak@friendsofyouth.org.

1,204 Homeless Children Ready for School Thanks to Project Cool

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Ally Seidel

Be Cool! Project Cool for Back to School 2012 Buttons

After months of preparation, we are celebrating the smooth and successful distribution of 1,204 Project Cool backpacks to homeless children across King County. This August, more than 150 awesome volunteers gathered together over 4 days in the basement of the Columbia City Church of Hope to prepare school supplies and then fill and distribute backpacks for homeless students ages 3 to 18. You guys ROCK! Last Tuesday, Project Cool backpacks went out to 14 different Coalition member agencies to support the education of the children they serve in their various homeless housing programs (including emergency shelter and transitional housing).

We know the need is great. In the 2010-2011 school year, 4,423 students (pre-k through high school) were identified as homeless in King County school districts; 26,049 students across all Washington State schools. This was a 19% increase from the previous year and a 55% increase from 2006-2007 (for more information visit http://schoolhousewa.org/). A new backpack filled with the tools students need tells kids that they belong and gives parents one less financial burden to bear.

Backpacks may be out the door, but the work to support the education of homeless students does not stop here. Seattle Public School starts in just a couple weeks on September 5. The instability of homelessness makes stability in school that much more important for children. Luckily, homeless students have several educational rights under an important federal law – the McKinney Vento Education Act –, which helps advocates and families keep children in school even if they don’t have the right paperwork to enroll or their address changes every 60 days. The Coalition’s August 22 “Helping Homeless Students: McKinney Vento 101” training will prepare school personnel and service providers to help homeless students stay in school.

Eric joined us on August 11 with the RBUCC Youth Group. Filling hundreds of backpacks with school supplies can be tiring work!

None of this work could be possible without the support of the hundreds of individuals who hosted donation drives, donated personally, and volunteered to help prepare backpacks. Project Cool is a volunteer driven project – coordinated by an AmeriCorps VISTA and supported by people like you: concerned community members, local businesses, and Coalition members. A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came out on August 2, 4, 11, and 14 to help prepare Project Cool backpacks – we welcomed the passionate help of many community members including several old hats and Project Cool newbies like the Redmond Beach UCC Youth Group and members of local non-profit young professionals group, Ascend. THANK YOU!

Becca Bill Changes

Posted on July 2, 2012 by admin

For the last two years, homeless youth had 3 days to stay in a shelter before staff was required to call and notify their parents of their whereabouts. During these three days, staff could create rapport with the young person, build trust and find out if they were fleeing a violent or abusive situation or taking a breather and that reconciliation with family was possible. After July 1, however, this 72 hour window will end. The Becca Bill was adopted by the Washington State Legislature in 1995 to protect homeless and run away youth by giving parents more control over where their children are located. The Becca Bill is connected to the truancy policy for students in Washington State. The law requires that shelter staff and other service providers contact parents of youth younger than 17 years old with their whereabouts. The enforcement of the law is controversial and two years ago, due to much advocacy, the Legislature passed a temporary provision giving service providers 72 hours to serve a minor before having to notify parents or the police. This temporary extension will expire after June 30^th. Service providers will now have only 8 hours with youth before law requires them notify families or the authorities. That is, if the youth show up at all once word gets out.

The Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness is communicating with agencies that this change will directly effect to coordinate advocacy efforts and to get the word out about the change to homeless youth, service providers, and the community at large. At our Youth and Young Adult Committee meeting on July 10^th and at our General Membership Meeting on July 19^th members of the coalition will have an opportunity to discuss advocacy and efforts under way at various agencies to mitigate the potentially harmful effects of this change in policy. Unfortunately, any policy change that might return the 72 hour window to service providers working with minors will have to wait until the 2013 state legislative session. Follow these links to find out more:

http://www.kuow.washington.edu/program.php?id=27180

http://www.k12.wa.us/SafetyCenter/Truancy/default.aspx

http://www.mockingbirdsociety.org/files/pdf/jul06.pdf

Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness Blog

Everyone counts.

Category Archives: Youth & Young Adults