Civil & human rights – Page 3 – Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness Blog

Seattle City Council votes to dedicate $2.265M to #BringPeopleInsideNOW, influenced by Coalition organizing

November 17, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

Yesterday, November 17, 2015, the Seattle City Council Budget Committee voted 8-0 to add $2.265 million to the City’s budget as a one-time allocation to address the crisis of homelessness. These funds will be intended to provide new and expanded shelter beds, extended day center services, maintenance of skilled outreach services to vulnerable homeless adults, support of authorized encampments, and child care for homeless children. The Green Sheet (Council’s process of changing the Mayor’s proposed budget) can be viewed here, specifies that the $2.265 million will come from the City’s General Subfund, and outlines the process for spending the money. The Coalition’s list of recommendations for new shelter, extended hours & increased capacity, and crucial services was included as an attachment to the Green Sheet. The final budget vote is next Monday (11/23). We will now work closely with the City to ensure that these funds are put into action as soon as possible to bring people inside quickly. Your Advocacy made a HUGE difference! Thanks to EVERYONE for calling, mailing postcards, e-mailing, signing our petition (400+ signatures!), and showing up at multiple City Council meetings to share your powerful examples of why we must ‪#‎BringPeopleInsideNOW‬. Please join us in THANKING all City Councilmembers via e-mail, with SPECIAL THANKS to Nick Licata for shepherding this proposal through the budget process. Stay tuned for more opportunities to take action! If you haven’t already, please sign up for the Coalition’s Action Alerts and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@Homeless2Housed). Check out media coverage of the Coalition’s organizing on our website and Facebook. Thank You!

How to Take Action in an Emergency: Bring People Inside Now, Open Community Centers

November 13, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

We call on Seattle & King County leaders to #BringPeopleInsideNOW! Sign our petition urging Seattle City Councilmembers to expand shelter, extend day center hours, and open community centers in the 2016 Budget, and urging Mayor Murray to open community centers as he would in any other emergency Dear Coalition Members and Friends: You only get to declare a state of emergency once, so it had better count. In declaring a state of emergency, Mayor Murray and Executive Constantine have created a crucial opportunity to bring additional focus to the all-too-obvious crisis for thousands of people each day and night. They have proposed investments that, while important, do not match the urgency or scope of the crisis before us. We need to work together to change that. Please join us in contacting Seattle City Councilmembers, and insisting that declarations be backed with actions that will bring many more people inside safely and with dignity. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Women in Black document how many people who are homeless have died outside or by violence. As of Veterans’ Day, the names of 57 women and men are listed this year. We have much work to do. Please join us next Thursday, Nov. 19, to learn more about the States of Emergency declared in our community and in Portland, L.A., and Hawaii, and to develop additional actions. General Membership Meeting Thursday, November 19, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. at E. Cherry YWCA – See Agenda below. Sign & Share petition to Seattle City Council & Mayor Ed Murray calling for an emergency response to #BringPeopleInsideNOW Seattle City Councilmembers are making final budget decisions now, and voting on Monday. Please join the Coalition, and 300+ people who have signed our petiton. Urge Council to re-direct the Mayor’s proposed $2.3M for the Rainy Day Fund to bring Seattle …

Join us in calling on the Seattle City Council and Mayor Murray to make a $10 million emergency investment in shelter & homeless services

October 28, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

The Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness is calling on the Seattle City Council to respond to the urgent unmet needs of homeless people with a new emergency investment of $10 million in shelter and services in the 2016 budget. This figure represents a realistic assessment of how our city can significantly reduce how many people are homeless outside in our city, starting this winter. These are not intended to be comprehensive recommendations – they are serious proposals that will help more people get their fundamental needs met through a strengthened and expanded network of emergency survival services. More information about how we recommend $10 million be used most effectively is below. YOUR voice is crucial: if you live, work, or spend time in Seattle, Mayor Murray and City Council Members need to hear from you today. Simple instructions for how to Take Action are at the bottom of this post! We recommend that Council use the current budget process to allocate new resources to: Bring 750-1000 people indoors beginning this winter: Increase overnight shelter capacity and expand daytime services that meet people’s needs Keep homeless people safer and healthier while they are outside: Take a public health/harm reduction approach to assisting people outside Build on and reinforce our existing network of shelters and survival services: Extend hours and enhance staffing and programming where possible; find and fill in gaps between what people need and what is available Estimated costs and specific opportunities: I. Open additional overnight shelter for 1000 people: $6.5 million* This conservative cost estimate presumes that Seattle will work to maximize capacity at existing programs (offer longer service hours or enhanced services or increased staffing support) and open additional shelters by working with local non-profit organizations, leveraging publicly-held properties, and calling on the private sector to join faith communities …

Coalition letter to King County Council asking for immediate creation of shelter in empty, County owned, 420 4th Ave building

October 27, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

Many Coalition Members and Friends received Alison’s Action Alert in your email last week calling on the King County Council to create more shelter, and calling on the Seattle City Council to make a new emergency investment of $10 million in shelter and services. You are taking action and it’s being heard! Please keep sending postcards and emails (see great example from Coalition Board Member Ben Miksch) to your elected officials. Read the Coalition’s letter to King County Councilmembers and Executive Dow Constantine on behalf of the Coalition here. We are calling on the County to open shelter at the vacant County-owned building at 420 4th Ave as soon as possible, and to expedite the process to ensure more people can have a safe place indoors to sleep at night. TAKE ACTION!!! When we speak up together, we can make important changes to our community! You can influence what happens for real people who are homeless in our community right now by using your voice in one (or more) quick ways using the message below: E-mail: Look up your King County Councilmember here, and cc Executive Constantine (kcexec@kingcounty.gov) Phone Call: Call the office of your King County Councilmember Postcard: Write a message, sign, and mail a postcard in an envelope with a 1st class stamp. In-person: Attend & give public comment at a King County Council Committee of the Whole meeting or a Health, Housing and Human Services Committee meeting. Stay tuned to Coalition Action Alerts for extra important meetings. Sample message: “I urge you to respond to the growing crisis of homelessness by creating more indoor shelter and services (day and night) immediately. Thousands of people are outside, struggling to survive, while public buildings stand empty. Funding for human services is not enough to meet the needs in our community. Local leaders must respond more strongly. …

Event Announcement: The New York Experience with Rent Regulations (10/15)

October 13, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

Posted with permission from the Tenants Union of Washington State and Timothy Collins The New York Experience with Rent Regulations Timothy L. Collins – former Exec. Director, New York City Rent Guidelines Board October 15, 2015 – 7:30 pm Tenants Union of Washington State, 5425 B Rainier Ave, Seattle, WA 98118 The Tenants Union of Washington State has invited Timothy L. Collins to talk about how rent regulations have worked in New York City. Mr. Collins was Executive Director and Counsel of the New York City Rent Guidelines Board for seven years, managing a research and administrative staff for a board that sets rents for one million housing units in New York City. He has an unmatched grasp of the on-the-ground realities – economic, political, social and legal – of New York City and state rental housing and efforts to keep it affordable. Mr. Collins also served as Assistant Attorney General of New York State in the Real Estate Finance Bureau, and as Assistant Counsel in the New York City Office of Rent and Housing Maintenance. He is currently a partner in the law firm of Collins, Dobkin and Miller LLP in New York City, and teaches constitutional history at Pace University there. Mr. Collins will address both the controversies around rent regulation and the question of home rule for cities on housing issues. For more details, see Mr. Collins paper: “Rent Regulation in New York: Myths and Facts” – http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/attachments/Rent-Regulation-in-New-York-Myths-and-Facts.pdf For more information: Tenants Union of Washington State, 206-722-6848, tenantsunion.org. Peter Costantini, jpetercostantini@comcast.net, 206-290-0219.

Voting in the Tues. November 3, 2015 General Election: Ballot drop-box locations & Important Dates

February 17, 2021October 12, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

The Coalition on Homelessness needs YOUR help to make sure that everyone in our community knows how to vote in the November 3, 2015 General Election. This year the Coalition and Member Organizations, thanks to great staff and volunteers, helped 188 homeless and unstably housed people register to vote, and we want to make sure that each of them, and anyone else you work with, know how, when, and where to turn in ballots, as well as what to do if they haven’t received their ballot. Please share this information and call King County Elections (206) 296-VOTE (8683) if you have any voting related questions. Another opportunity to TAKE ACTION: Join Coalition members on Tuesday, October 20 at the Seattle City Council Budget Hearing (Seattle City Hall: 600 4th Ave, Seattle, 98104) to tell your elected officials why it is necessary to fully fund Human Services. Check out this Action Alert from the Seattle Human Services Coalition for more information. We need your help to fill the room in support of human services. IMPORTANT ELECTIONS DATES: Tuesday, October 20 Ballots are mailed to registered voters 20 days prior to the election. If you have not received your ballot by Tuesday, October 20, call King County Elections (206) 296-8683. SPREAD THE WORD – put up a sign in your building to alert folks to call King County Elections if they haven’t received their ballot, and to let them know where to drop off ballots near your location. Monday, Oct 26 In-person voter registration deadline for people not currently registered in WA State. Your new registration must be received in-person at either the Renton office: 919 SW Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057-2906, or Seattle office: 500 4th Avenue, Room 440, Seattle, WA 98104. Tuesday, Nov 3 Election Day! Ballots must be dropped at ballot drop box …

Voter Registration: Make sure ALL eligible people register to vote by Mon. 10/5 for the 11/3 General Election: You Don’t Need a House to Vote

September 23, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

This is a big election, folks! Half of the King County Council and all nine of the Seattle City Council are up for (re)election. Voting is important and helps ensure that people’s voices are being heard. Encourage our whole community to take part! Help ensure that every eligible voter is registered and votes in this November 3 General Election. Read important details about registering people to vote below, plus, volunteer with the Coalition on Homelessness’ Voter Registration Drive: Thursday September 24 – Monday October 5! Contact Hillary for more information & to sign up! Voter Registration Deadline for Nov. 3 General Election: Monday, October 5 General Election date: Tuesday, November 3, 2015 Registration information and tips – Here’s a few helpful tips and important information. Please use our Guide for Homeless and Unstably Housed Voters for more specifics about helping those who don’t have a house register. Print this half sheet condensed version of our Guide for Homeless and Unstably Housed Voters. We recommend sharing it with people you work with and are helping register to vote. Registration Deadline: Monday, October 5 for mail or online new registrations & updates In-person registration for *people not currently registered in Washington State* is available until Monday, October 26, 2015 at King County Elections Offices: Renton HQ: 919 SW Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057-2906 Seattle Office: King County Administration Building: 500 4th Avenue, Room 440, Seattle, WA 98104 Do I need an address to vote? Residential address: MUST be filled out: You need to list a residential address to be placed in your district. You can register at the shelter, park, vehicle location, intersection, or another identifiable location that you consider your current residence if you do not have a traditional residential address. Provide as complete of an address as possible (ex: 4th Ave & Cherry St, Seattle, …

NEW Shelter capacity for Women this summer – help spread the word!

July 20, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

We have exciting new shelter capacity (limited time – through August 17 for now) for women in Seattle, and we need everyone’s help to get the word out to service providers and the community at large. This shelter is a partnership between the Salvation Army and Catholic Community Services, and referrals are through the Women’s Referral Center (Angeline’s). The shelter is open every night, from 8.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m., at the Randolph Carter Center (23rd and Yesler). Late check in until 10.30 p.m. is O.K. Van transportation is available. Find details about this NEW Summer Women’s Shelter here! (pdf for download) Thank you for helping to spread the word!

Recap: General Meeting and Street Drugs 101 Case Manager Training – June 18,2015

February 17, 2021June 23, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

What a meeting! Among the friendly faces were representatives from SHARE, YWCA, Plymouth Housing Group, Housing Development Consortium, Child Care Resources, Compass Housing Alliance, Housing Justice Project, Hopelink, REACH/Evergreen Treatment Services, North Helpline, Catholic Community Services, Recovery Cafe, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, Jewish Family Services, Aridell Mitchell Home (Goodwill Development Association), Washington Family Counseling Service, ROOTS, YouthCare, El Centro de la Raza, Multi-Service Center, Year Up, and 2-1-1. Following the General Meeting, representatives from even more organizations and community members joined us for our Street Drugs 101 + Naloxone + Related Laws training. Both were informative meetings – Here’s a brief recap . . . [Psssst! Don’t miss out in the future — add our General Meeting dates to your calendar.] June 18, 2015 General Membership Meeting Report-back Smoking Ban update – On Thursday, May 28, the Board of Park Commissioners voted unanimously (8-0) to pass a smoking ban in Seattle Parks. This ban will take effect 30 days after the vote, likely beginning in July. While this is still a disappointing outcome, it’s important to remember the impact of our collective action. By speaking up with many community members and organizations, we were able to influence the removal of the $27 citation, ensure a “Right to Dispute” be made available, and see to it that there is oversight of enforcement. An emphasis of education is also a feature of this policy. Read the Seattle Parks and Recreation’s release about the new smoking ban. Now, we all have continued work to do to ensure that what is “in writing” is put into action, and that whatever plays out is brought to light. This means we need you, your colleagues, your friends and family, and, certainly, the people you serve who are (likely) most impacted by this policy to keep us informed about how the implementation and enactment of …

You Don’t Need a House to Vote: Spread the word to help people register by July 6 for the 8/4 primary election.

June 18, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

We may not be voting on the president, but this is still an important election! Here’s why: Half of the King County Council and all nine of the Seattle City Council are up for reelection, it’s a big year! Voting is important and helps ensure that people’s voices are being heard. Encourage our whole community to take part! Help ensure that every eligible voter is registered and votes in this August’s primary election. Voter Registration Deadline for Primary Election: Monday, July 6 Primary Election date: Tuesday, August 4 Voter Registration Deadline for General Election: Monday, October 5 November General Election Date: Tuesday, November 3 Registration information and tips – Here’s a few helpful tips and important information. Please use our Guide for Homeless and Unstably Housed Voters for more specifics about helping those who don’t have a house register. Registration Deadline: Monday, July 6 for mail or online new registrations & updates In-person registration for *people not currently registered in Washington State* is available until Monday, July 27, 2015 at King County Elections Offices: Renton HQ: 919 SW Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057-2906 Seattle Office: King County Administration Building: 500 4th Avenue, Room 440, Seattle, WA 98104 Do I need an address to vote? Residential address: MUST fill this out so voter can be assigned to a precinct. The residential address does not need to be a house/apartment. Voters should put the street, intersection, or shelter where they stay most often. (i.e. 4th Ave & Cherry St.) Mailing address: voters MUST provide a mailing address because ballot will be mailed to voter. See our guide for places to receive mail in the county, such as Compass Housing Alliance (77 S. Washington St, Seattle, 98104). If you work at a place where clients can receive mail, they can use that address as a mailing address. Felony …