National homelessness, housing, and related issues

Annual Membership Meeting – May 21, 2026

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2026 Annual Membership MeetingThursday, May 21, 8:30-11 a.m. 9:15 – 9:30 a.m. Welcome and Introductions 9:30 – 10 a.m. The Power of Being in Coalition Together 10 – 10:40 a.m. Who Can Call King County Home? A conversation about the housing affordability crisis with: 10:40 – 10:50 Coalition Board of Directors Candidate Slate 10:50 – 11 a.m. Member Announcements Speak Up Against HUD’s Attempt to Dismantle the Equal Access Rule COMING IN AUGUST: Helping Homeless Students: McKinney-Vento 101 A training for public school, housing, and human services staff working with students experiencing homelessness in area public schools. SAVE THE DATE: Truth to (Staying) Power Thurs, Sept 17, The Royal Room – Tickets on sale in June Support the Coalition and celebrate a milestone of staying power for our Executive Director, Alison Eisinger (20 years!). PAST COALITION MEETINGS & TRAININGS: bit.ly/SKCCHYouTube INTERESTED IN MEMBERSHIP? Individual, Allied, or Organizational Email membership[at]homelessinfo[.]org or call 206-204-8350 for more information. Join our next Membership meeting Thursday, June 18, 9-10:30 a.m., Zoom Register here.

Speak Up Against HUD’s Attempt to Dismantle the Equal Access Rule

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Trump’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has proposed a rule change that would remove protections for people to access HUD-funded shelter, housing and services that best fit their gender identity. Tearing down the “Equal Access Rule” would make those resources contingent on matching biological sex, and it would allow service providers to demand proof of someone’s biological sex in order to access services. That would further marginalize trans, intersex, and nonbinary people who are already at high risk of homelessness and dangerous situations while they are homeless. Speak up today against this terrible rule change! Write your comment before June 29, 2026 using the template below. HUD is legally required to review all comments and respond to them in their final rule. We have successfully stalled out other terrible rule changes before by submitting an overwhelming number of comments – let’s do it again! Sample comment – please customize it if you have time: I strongly oppose the proposed changes to the Equal Access Rule issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This proposal would remove critical protections that ensure fair and equal access to housing and services for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people. By stopping people from choosing services that align with their gender identity, forcing them into programs and services that do not meet their needs, and allowing providers to require proof of a person’s biological sex, this rule opens the door to discrimination, denial of services, and dangerous conditions for people seeking HUD-funded shelter, housing, and services. According to data from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, transgender people are more likely to be unsheltered than their cisgender peers, and those who are unsheltered have worse health and experience more dangerous conditions than those who are sheltered. More data is available …

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Navigating SNAP: Program basics & new HR1 requirements – March 25, 2026

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PLEASE NOTE: The information in this training is accurate as of March 25, 2026. Benefit programs are undergoing significant and ongoing shifts. Here are a few resources where you can verify the information provided in this training: We invite you to watch and share this training on Navigating SNAP: Program Basics and the New HR1 requirements with your colleagues and communities who will be impacted by new limits to accessibility. The Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness is proud to present this in partnership with attorneys and public benefits experts from Solid Ground’s Benefits Legal Assistance (BLA) team.  In this training, BLA staff go over program basics (who can access programs and how to apply), explain what is changing, and how the communities you support will be impacted. You will also learn how to access BLA services for appeals on decisions and case consultation. The HR1 changes to the SNAP program are now the largest changes to eligibility since the 1996 Federal Welfare Reform Act. We know the most vulnerable will be disproportionately impacted by these changes, including people experiencing homelessness and people living with disabilities. We bring this information to the frontlines to help you advocate for and support the folks you work with. Please share this information and check our website for future training opportunities concerning SNAP benefits and other vital programs for communities impacted by HR1. For information and action about the harmful effects of H.R. 1 in terms of SNAP, please bookmark this page from FRAC: SNAP Cuts Mitigation Hub: Responding to H.R. 1 – Food Research & Action Center  Thank you to Solid Ground’s Benefits Legal Assistance team for presenting this informative training. Q: Do ABAWD requirements apply to being 18-21 and a student enrolled in high school? A: Students ages 18–21 who are enrolled at …

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General Membership Meeting – March 19, 2026

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For our March 19 General Membership Meeting, we were joined by folks at Northwest Health Law Associates (NoHLA) and Community Health Plan of WA (CHPW) to hear about the impacts to Medicaid under HR1. We also heard a brief legislative recap from our Community Policy Manager Hali Willis, took action on some proposed rules at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and learned about the Coalition’s efforts to prepare service providers in the stadium district for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. If this wealth of information is something you want to share with others or access again, please subscribe to the Coalition’s YouTube channel, where our membership meetings and trainings are collected. Changes to Medicaid Under HR1 Jump to 07:18 in the recording to hear this presentation. Read about the statewide impacts of HR1 from the Washington State Office of Financial Management here: https://ofm.wa.gov/budget/resources/h-r-1-impacts-on-washington-state-people-and-budget/#section-health-care-medicaid-enrollee-impacts Key dates: Oct 1, 2026: HR1 Eliminates Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility for certain lawfully present immigration status’ (refugees, asylees, and other non-citizen adults). COFA migrants, Cuban/Haitian entrants and lawful permanent residents will still remain eligible. Dec 31, 2026: Work requirements go into effect for Medicaid expansion adults (adults age 19-64, up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level) unless they qualify for an exemption.  Work requirements under HR1 impact Medicaid Expansion clients. If your coverage is labeled as any of the following, it is not Medicaid Expansion: • Pregnancy Medicaid • Parent/Caretaker Medicaid • Aged, Blind, Disabled (ABD) Medicaid • SSI-related Medicaid • Medicare Savings Program • Long-term care Medicaid • CHIP (for children) Generally “work requirements” and “community engagement requirements” are used interchangeably with “community engagement” being the formal phrase in the bill. The requirements can be met by working sufficient hours but also by volunteering, school, etc. …

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General Membership Meeting – November 20, 2025

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During our November meeting, we were joined by Poverty Action and Solid Ground to review and discuss upcoming changes to SNAP (starting Dec 1, 2025). We also talked about the recently announced changes to HUD that will impact our region and heard an inspiring presentation from DESC’s new ORCA Center. If this wealth of information is something you want to share with others or access again, please subscribe to the Coalition’s YouTube channel, where our membership meetings and trainings are collected. Dec 2025 Changes to SNAP Thank you to Lianna Kressin from Poverty Action and Patricia Bowen from Solid Ground for presenting on the changes coming to SNAP starting Monday, December 1. Jump to 00:7:49 to see this section of our meeting. HR1 & Federal Context On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the “Big Beautiful Bill” (HR1) into law. The impacts of this bill will go into effect over the next 5 years. Individuals will have an increased burden of “proof of need” to maintain eligibility for programs and states will be required to pay more to provide the same, or lower, benefits. Changes to SNAP are already taking place but impacts will roll out over time. Even though new work requirements start Dec 1, 2025, there are still many unanswered questions from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Work Requirements New work requirements—expected to be about 20 hours per week—start Monday, December 1, 2025. More than 100,000 people are expected to be impacted by new work requirements with 57,000 Washingtonians losing some of their food assistance. The following groups will have new work requirements: People with “verified” disability status will remain exempt from work requirements. Jump to 00:34:40 to hear more about disability status. Immigrant Eligibility Changes to SNAP eligibility that will impact immigrants started July 4, 2025. …

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General Membership Meeting – June 12, 2025

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During our June 12 General Membership Meeting, we shared upcoming opportunities and trainings at the Coalition, heard from DSHS about Washington state’s summer EBT program for K-12 students (SUN Bucks), talked to the Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition about the recent state legislative session and federal threats to SNAP, met the Coalition’s Board of Directors new members, and shared ways our community is celebrating Juneteenth and Pride this month. If this wealth of information is something you want to share with others or access again, please subscribe to the Coalition’s YouTube channel, where our membership meetings and trainings are collected. Upcoming at the Coalition Support for K-12 students experiencing homelessness For more than 33 years, the Coalition on Homelessness has helped students and families prepare for the start of a new school year with new backpacks, school supplies, books, and dental hygiene supplies. This effort, our Project Cool for Back-to-School, will support 1,800 students in 2025. We are currently looking for volunteers to help us stuff and distribute backpacks in July. We would love to have you join us! All volunteer days are hosted at the Bryn Mawr Methodist Church (8016 S 116th St, Seattle, WA 98178): Sign up for a volunteer shift here and email projectcool[at]homelessinfo[.]org if you have any questions. The Coalition supports K-12 students experiencing homelessness year-round by providing a training on the educational rights of students in public schools as defined in the McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act. This training is for any case manager or provider working with students and families experiencing homelessness. The training will cover: Sign up for this year’s Helping Homeless Students: McKinney Vento 101 training on Thursday, August 21 from 9-11 a.m. over Zoom. Please note that this training will take the place of our August General Membership …

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General Membership Meeting – March 20, 2025

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During our March General Membership Meeting, we got prepped for Tax Day (Tue, Apr 15, 2025) with United Way’s free tax clinic. We shared some good stories and fueling moments from Housing & Homelessness Advocacy Day (HHAD) on Friday, March 14, 2025. We heard from our Director, Alison Eisinger, about how actions at the Federal government are impacting us locally, and got a legislative advocacy update from our Community Policy Manager, Hali Willis. If this wealth of information is something you want to share with others, or listen to again, please subscribe to the Coalition’s YouTube channel where our membership meetings and trainings are collected: https://www.youtube.com/@coalitiononhomelessness8319  The Coalition is hosting a free, virtual training on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and WorkFirst benefits programs in partnership with Solid Ground on Thursday, March 27 from 9-11 a.m. PST. The training will go over eligibility, applications, common pitfalls, and additional benefit programs available to recipients of TANF/WorkFirst. Register here. State Legislative Update The state legislative session is more than half over! Some bills we were advocating for have entered hibernation, including House Bill 1380 and House Bill 1195. We say they are hibernating rather than dead, because they may return next year. And we will need to pick up our advocacy for them right where we left off, should they return. Read more about these bills in a recent Seattle Time article here. Bills that are still alive (and need our support) include House Bill 1217 for rent stabilization and House Bill 1858, which closes an important loophole in the collection of state Document Recording fees, the primary funding source for homelessness services throughout the state. If you’d like to join our efforts to advocate for these bills and other statewide priorities, sign up for our Action Alert emails here. Tune …

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May 21, 2020 Coalition Annual Membership Meeting

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Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual Membership Meeting! Sign up for Coalition emails to make sure you receive updates and notice of upcoming meetings. Highlights and resources shared on the call are below. Click here to view the Coalition’s PowerPoint Presentation. 9:00 – Welcome and Introduction Opening Ceremony by Chief Seattle Club Drummers – thank you Randy Tippins-Firstrider, Youth Outreach Case Manager with Chief Seattle Club ——– New Coalition Mission, Vision, and Values – Thank you to Coalition Board members for sharing our new guiding principles. And thank you to all our members who contributed to this process Kate Baber, President, Coalition on Homelessness Board Anna Strahan, Coalition on Homelessness Board Member Derrick Belgarde, Treasurer, Coalition on Homelessness Board ——– Board of Directors Election: Each dues-paying member organization has one vote to elect the slate of candidates for the Board. We are pleased that four Board members have agreed to renew their terms of service: Derrick Belgarde, Katie Escudero, Benjamin Miksch, Jenn Romo. Primary membership contacts will hear from us directly about this. If you think you are the person who should vote, or have a question, please email us Highlights from the past year with the Coalition – see photos in our PowerPoint Presentation linked above! ——– City, County and Statewide Advocacy Opportunities Regarding sweeps currently happening in the City of Seattle, Alison shared: “We don’t find it to be acceptable under any circumstances that people are left to fend for themselves. We have proudly and successfully wrangled with multiple mayoral administrations over these kinds of dehumanizing and morally wrong actions. And now this. In the context of a global health emergency, in context of interim guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that clearly states in the absence of individual housing options people living unsheltered should …

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Employment Assistance Programs: Information and Coalition Update from January 16 Zoom Call

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Although The Coalition cancelled our January Membership Meeting in recognition of the extra strain severe weather conditions put on people experiencing homelessness and on service providers, and the real difficulties of winter travel in our large county, we did host a ZOOM call to update members on the 2020 Legislative Session priorities, click HERE to visit our State Legislative Advocacy page see many ways you can take action! We had a great panel of staff from Employment Services Programs who were going to present at the meeting, and we will be rescheduling these presenters for a future Coalition meeting. In the meantime, we wanted to share programmatic and contact information for these employment and job readiness training programs so that your programs and clients can access these important resources. Please contact the programs below directly if you or your clients have any questions about their services. Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) The Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) serves people with disabilities between the ages of 16 to 80, and helps with gaining, maintaining and advancing in employment. Eligible clients must have a permanent disability (intellectual, mental and/or physical in nature) and barriers to employment. In order to refer, client must make contact themselves for intake unless they need assistance to call, and in that case, a case manager can set up the appointment if they let the front desk staff know the customer cannot make the initial contact. To request an intake, call 253-372-5900, or reach out to your local Work Source office for a referral. Please contact Allesandria Goard for more in-depth information on the services and nuances of the DVR program. Pioneer Human Services   Roadmap to Success is a job-readiness program for formerly justice involved individuals who are seeking full time employment To be eligible for the …

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