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 in to the recording at 00:04:57 to hear Hali’s update on the state legislature.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at HHAD!
Our trip to the Capitol for Housing & Homelessness Advocacy Day was full of connection, community building, and solidarity. We helped 40+ people from our partner organizations travel to the Capitol to take part in this impactful day of speaking to state lawmakers and rallying for bills and budgets that keep people safely housed.
Thank you to the Downtown Emergency Service Center and Evergreen Treatment Services for sponsoring the Advocacy Express bus that brought us all to and from Olympia.
Tune in to the recording at 00:15:58 to hear our full recap of this powerful day of in-person advocacy!
HHAD may be over, but our advocacy continues! Join us for our next state Advocacy Power Half Hour on Wednesday, April 2 from 12-12:30 p.m. over Zoom to get involved.
Now is the time that budget proposals are released from the state Senate and House of Representatives.
We are facing a huge deficit in Document Recording Fees. If that funding doesn’t get backfilled, we will see shelters close across the state.
We are expecting budget proposals that include new, progressive revenue options AND cuts to homelessness services. We will use our collective power to tell state lawmakers what we need to see in the budget for the next biennium.
Tune in to the recording at 00:21:02 to hear more about the state budget deficit and our advocacy priorities moving forward.
Federal Threats to our Ability to Keep People Safely Housed
Things at the federal level are dire.
We need to stand with federal workers and people who work at government agencies and institutions. We need to protect their right to do their jobs for the sake of the American people, which includes people in a variety of immigration statuses.
We are gathering at the Federal Building in Seattle (915 2nd Ave) on Friday, March 28 at 11:30 a.m. as part of the Federal Building Friday demonstrations to tell congress to keep hands off the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) funding and jobs.
This is about resisting a coup and an attempt to impose an authoritarian regime in our country.
Please join us.
The Coalition is also calling on the King County Regional Housing Authority’s Governing Board to protect people in our region from federal cuts to funding.
Tune in to the recording at 00:35:13 to hear Alison talk about federal threats to homelessness services.
United Way Free Tax Help
The United Way of King County hosts an annual tax clinic to help people file their taxes for free. This free resource is available to people who make an annual income of up to $80,000 filing singly or $96,000 for married filers or single filers with one or more dependents.
Filing Requirements
People are required to file taxes depending on their age and annual income. A person under the age of 65 who made $14,600 or more in 2024 is required to file. Meanwhile, a person over the age of 65 who made more than $16,550 in 2024 is required to file. The income filing requirements change yearly, but the self-employed income filing requirement is always $400.
People who earned less than the federal filing requirement may still want to file taxes, however. Reasons to file when below the filing requirement include:
- To get a refund on tax withholdings
- To claim eligible tax credits
- A tax return is needed for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- Show compliance with tax laws and file for citizenship later
- Possibly qualify for social services
People who earned no income in 2024 have no reason to file, unless they are looking to show compliance with tax laws to file for citizenship later.
Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC)
The Working Families Tax Credit is a relatively new (passed in 2022) refund of state sales tax that people are eligible for if they are:
- A Washington state resident
- Have earned income
- Are between 25 and 65 years of age, or have at least one qualifying child
The amount you will be refunded depends on the number of children you have (there are four tiers). The amount will range from $50-$1,200.
2021 Stimulus Checks
This is the last year to get the 2021 stimulus check ($1,800). The deadline to claim it is Saturday, May 17, 2025. If you missed this stimulus check, you can still file for it even if you have no income this year.
The deadline for the 2020 stimulus check has passed.
United Way Tax Clinic Locations
The United Way has 20 physical tax site locations and one virtual tax site this year. Check out the interactive map with all 20 locations here.
To prepare for your in-person tax filing, please bring with you:
- Social security cards/Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) for everyone on your return
- Photo ID (must be physical, no photos accepted)
- All tax documents
- Account and routing numbers (for direct deposit)
Need to apply for or renew an ITIN? United Way can help! Check out the available walk-in opportunities (until April 16) or call Monday-Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to schedule a time: (206) 622-1850.
Tune in to the recording at 00:43:47 to hear the full presentation from United Way. Download the presentation slides here.
Coalition Announcements
The Coalition is recruiting new board members! We are looking for housing justice advocates with time to commit to nonprofit governance. People with skills in fundraising and friendraising are encouraged to apply!
Interested but want to learn more? Attend one of our virtual info sessions with current board members and Coalition staff:
- Register for Tuesday, April 8, 5:15-5:45 p.m., Zoom
- Register for Tuesday, April 8, 8-8:30 p.m., Zoom
The application deadline is Friday, April 11 at 5 p.m. PST. Learn more and apply here: https://homelessinfo.org/about-us/board-staff/board-recruitment/
We’re also gearing up for GiveBIG, a statewide fundraising campaign powered by social sharing. Do you have a story about this Coalition you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it! Please reach out to danielle [at] homelessinfo [.] org to get started.
Thank you for joining our March’s General Membership Meeting!
Our next meeting is on Thursday, April 17 from 9-10:30 a.m. over Zoom. Register here. We’ll feature a presentation by the Sexual Violence Law Center and, as always, have time for community announcements.