The 2015 One Night Count identified 3,772 too many people outside from 2-5am early morning Friday, January 23. This cannot be considered normal and we need YOU to take ACTION. We are now in the third week of the 2015 Washington State Legislative Session and your elected state legislators need to hear from you today!
Call the Legislative Hotline to leave a message for your representatives and let them know that you support legislation that is crucial to helping people experiencing homelessness in our community.
- Hotline Number: 1-800-562-6000 – real (and kind) people answer the phone!
- Hotline Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-8pm
Please find below short messages to use when you call your representatives and senators as well as links to PDF versions of one-pagers with information about the important acts and programs that are on our legislative agenda. Click here to view the Coalition’s Legislative & Budget Priorities in a printable version.
Here are our legislative priorities in no particular order. Thanks to the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, Columbia Legal Services, The Mockingbird Society, and the Statewide Poverty Action Network for these one-pagers.
- State Housing Trust Fund:
- Invest $100 million to create good homes and local jobs through our State Housing Trust Fund
- Housing & Essential Needs (HEN), Aged, Blind, & Disabled (ABD) and SSI Facilitation
- PROTECT Crucial Programs & Prevent Homelessness for disabled and elderly Washingtonians: Maintain Housing & Essential Needs (HEN), Aged, Blind, & Disabled (ABD) and SSI Facilitation at current funding levels. Seniors and people with disabilities must be able to meet their basic needs and access recovery resources.
- Fair Tenant Screening Act (SB 5123 / HB 1257):
- ELIMINATE Barriers to Housing: Pass the Fair Tenant Screening Act (SB 5123 / HB 1257), and laws to prevent discrimination based on how people pay rent and ensure fair reporting of evictions.
- PREVENT Youth Homelessness:
- Pass the Youth Equality and Reintegration (YEAR) Act, allowing youth who made non-violent mistakes to access housing and employment;
- Extend Foster Care for youth with significant medical conditions so that these individuals have a safe place to stay while transitioning to adulthood;
- Pass the Homeless Youth Act (HB 1436 / SB 5404)
- Homeless Student Stability Act (SB 5065)
- SUPPORT Homeless Students: Pass the Homeless Student Stability Act (SB 5065).
- Certificate of Restoration of Opportunity (CROP) Act (HB 1553)
- Ensure opportunities and reduce unnecessary barriers to employment that do not contribute to public safety.
- CROP One Pager
- RESTORE the 15% cut to Families receiving TANF:
- Washington’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) system provides struggling families with children a modest cash grant to help meet their basic needs, such as housing, clothing, and health items. Many in our communities rely on this vital program to put food on their tables and provide for their children.
- During the 2011 Legislative Session, the TANF cash grant was reduced by 15%. It is high time to take action and RESTORE the 15% cut from 2011. This will increase the grant for a family of 3 from $478 to $562, providing critical resources to our poorest families.
- Columbia Legal Services TANF information
PRINT and sign an Advocacy postcard form the 2015 One Night Count Here!
Thank you for calling your legislators and showing your support for these legislative priorities! Please check our blog for timely updates, sign up for Action Alerts on our website, and visit the websites of these great state level advocacy organizations who put together the one-pagers we use: Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, Columbia Legal Services, The Mockingbird Society. Statewide Poverty Action Network. Happy Advocating!