Civic engagement – Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness Blog

June 15, 2017 General Membership Meeting: Seattle’s RFP for Homelessness Services, CEA Listening Session

March 5, 2019June 16, 2017 by Alison Eisinger

Thank you to the 100+ people who filled the room for our June 15 General Membership Meeting! It was an important agenda (click here to view): a presentation and discussion about Seattle’s Homelessness Services RFP with Catherine Lester, Director of Seattle’s Human Services Department, as well as a Coordinated Entry for All Listening Session with Mark Ellerbrook, Regional Housing and Community Development Manager with King County Department of Community and Human Services. Handouts and materials related to these presentations are at the bottom of this post. We shared timely information about State (ESHB 1570 & Budget) and County (Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy) Advocacy priorities as well as the Coalition’s Voter Registration work. Please follow up on the Action Alert below! Did you fill our our Voter Registration & Candidate Questionnaire survey? If not, click here to let us know what information you want people running for elected office to know about homelessness, plus, information about voter registration work at your organization. Take Action Today! There are crucial issues before King County Council and the State Legislature — Lawmakers need to hear YOUR voice! Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy Renewal: Let King County Councilmembers hear from YOU as they decide whether to increase (yes!) or reduce (no!) Executive Constantine’s recommended funding package and put the levy before voters this November. Send a personalized note to County Councilmembers: Renew and extend the Vets, Seniors, and Human Services Levy. Help close the gap between what people in our community need and deserve, and what we are providing. Build on Executive Constantine’s proposal to ensure robust continued support for helping veterans, families, and seniors across King County. Take Action: Online Action: tinyurl.com/speakupVSHSL Call your King County Councilmember The State Legislature is currently in special session as they determine which programs to fund in the …

Voting for the first time at 63: “I felt like I was a part of society.”

February 17, 2021November 7, 2016 by Alison Eisinger

Dennis first connected with the Coalition on Homelessness on our bus to Housing and Homelessness advocacy day 2016 in Olympia. He then attended our first Beyond the One Night Count Advocacy 101 workshop and said it changed his life and that he was amazed by how easy advocacy could be; he came to the second workshop later that week and shared his story of calling the legislative hotline in Olympia and how easy it was to speak up for issues he cared about! Since then, Dennis has been trained in voter registration and is an active volunteer for both Voter Registration and Project Cool. He helped us get out the vote this November to make sure people knew how to turn in their ballots, and also voted for the first time. Dennis wrote these powerful and moving words about his experience. Thank you Dennis for reminding us why we do the work we do! Dennis’ Powerful Message About Voting: After working with Hillary Coleman this election year, learning how to register people to vote and helping them with information on where to cast their ballots and how to put the envelopes together to mail out, I finally, at the age of 63 voted for the first time. I had lost my right to vote in 1968 because of a felony, and was supervised by the department of corrections until 2012. That is a long story in itself. What I would like to share is the feeling of dropping the ballot into the ballot box today. I had this very new and strange feeling like I finally belonged to something. I felt like I was a part of society. That my vote does count, and I do have a right to vote. My self-esteem shot straight up, I felt like I had meaning and my …

One Response to the Proposed White Center Shelter

September 20, 2016 by Alison Eisinger

King County is considering opening a new shelter at the former Public Health Clinic in White Center. This shelter will provide space for 70 people – single adults and couples – as well as pets. It’s hours will be from 5pm – 8am, including dinner and breakfast. The shelter will also have case management services. Learn more about it at this link. A community meeting was hosted on September 15th, 2016, the minutes for the meeting can be found here, a video of the meeting is on the White Center Now Blog. After the meeting community member, Stephanie Endres wrote the following friendly letter to her fellow White Center community members, which she agreed to let us share (You can print and sign a postcard in support of the shelter, share with your community and mail signed postcards to Coalition on Homelessness, 77 S. Washington Street, Seattle, WA 98104 – we’ll take them to King County Executive Dow Constantine and Council Chair Joe McDermott). Here’s Stephanie’s message: My name is Stephanie and I am a Homeless Outreach Case Manager in Seattle. I grew up in White Center. I’ve gone to Mt. View Presbyterian Church since I was a child, where I also attended youth group. I’ve been involved and volunteered for nonprofits founded in White Center; I attend and support events in the neighborhood year round I volunteer within the White Center community. I also run a nonprofit that I founded in 2011 that does outreach to homeless individuals in King County. As I heard in the community meeting last night, most of you are concerned about a new shelter in your neighborhood. You are clearly concerned about the children in the neighborhood. You’re afraid of sex offenders or drug users being a danger to you in your homes, schools, and …

Letter to Seattle Office of Civil Rights: Request for Race Equity Analysis of Homeless Sweeps

January 19, 2016 by Alison Eisinger

Read letter from Columbia Legal Services who, joint by the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness, request that the City of Seattle’s Office of Human Rights “evaluate the City’s procedures and practices of sweeping homeless individuals from their places of shelter to ensure the City makes good on its commitments to race equity and social justice, and to ensure compliance with all applicable civil rights laws.” View PDF of letter here. Read the following letter and press release from December as well: Homeless Sweeps Exacerbate Problem: Letter to Mayor Ed Murray: In December, together with Columbia Legal Services and the ACLU of WA, the Coalition wrote to Seattle’s Mayor Murray detailing our concerns about the harmful effects of recent sweeps of people who are homeless outside.

Recap: General Meeting – 2016 Legislative Preview – December 17, 2015

January 11, 2016 by Alison Eisinger

Thank you to all who were able to join us at our December General Membership meeting for the 2016 legislative preview! Those present included folks from Solid Ground, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, Child Care Resources, Chief Seattle Club, OPEIU Local 8, All Home, Jewish Family Services, Center for One Health Research, City of Seattle Office of Housing, United Way of King County, Catholic Housing Services, Columbia Legal Services, King County Health Care for the Homeless Network, YouthCare, Real Change, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Seattle University, University of Washington Center for Pediatric Dentistry, Tenants Union, Seattle Public Library, Compass Housing Alliance, YouthCare, Hopelink, and the University District Conversation on Homelessness. Wow – we enjoyed an exciting conversation with this awesome group! Here’s a brief recap of the meeting… Special thanks to Representative Mia Gregerson (LD 33), Madeline Cavazos (Legislative Aide to Representative Joan McBride, LD 48), Curtis Knapp (Legislative Aide to Representative Brady Walkinshaw, LD 43), Nigel Herbig (Legislative Aide to Representative Jessyn Farrell, LD 46), Michael Althauser (Columbia Legal Services), Liz Trautman (YouthCare), Alex Bergstrom (Columbia Legal Services), Hana Alicic (Tenants Union), and Abi Velasco (Washington Low Income Housing Alliance), who joined us to share their perspectives on key legislative priorities for the upcoming 2016 legislative session! This year’s legislative session is set to be short (just 60 days), and we plan to advocate strongly throughout the session for the legislative priorities that are key to making sure that the needs of all those in our community are met. We appreciated hearing the perspectives of our elected representatives and advocacy partners at our General Membership meeting! Some of the legislative priorities to be ready to advocate for include: Certificate of Restoration of Opportunities Act (CROP) Homeless Youth Healthcare Act and Homeless Students Stability and Opportunity Gap Act Fair Tenant Screening Act Truth in Evictions Reporting …

Thank you for helping us win $2.265 million investment to #BringPeopleInsideNOW: 902 signatures on petition!

December 2, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

The following message was shared with 902 people who signed our Change.org petition calling on Seattle City Council to invest $2.265 to Bring People Inside Thank you as well to everyone who sent emails, made calls and signed postcards. Together we won! We’ll continue to need your help to make sure the money is used to bring people inside as soon as possible. Thank You! $2.265M invested to #BringPeopleInsideNOW Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness (SKCCH) Dec 2, 2015 — Dear advocates who signed our petition to #BringPeopleInsideNOW, Thank you for your signature and support of the Seattle/King County on Homelessness’ and Seattle Councilmember Nick Licata’s proposal to allocate an additional $2.265 million for shelter and emergency services for people experiencing homelessness. On 11/16/2015, the Seattle City Council voted unanimously to do just that; $2.265 million from General Funds has been allocated and was part of the 2016 City of Seattle budget signed yesterday by the Mayor! You helped show the support of the community, and councilmembers in City Hall heard the message loud and clear: we need to bring more people inside now. The Coalition on Homelessness will continue to work closely with City Council and member organizations to make sure that we get people inside as quickly as possible. The success of the $2.265 million depends on your continued support and help in encouraging City Council and the City of Seattle to bring people inside now by using funds for shelter and services as recommended by the Coalition on Homelessness. We hope you’ll continue to take action with the Coalition. If you haven’t already, please sign up for the Coalition’s Action Alerts and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@Homeless2Housed). Thanks again and keep up the great advocacy! -The Coalition team P.S. We sent Thank You Postcards to Seattle City …

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!

Sound Transit to vote on Low-Income fare 11/19/2015

November 17, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

Sound Transit is on the brink of voting on whether or not to implement a low-income fare for their system. The Coalition on Homelessness has joined with Transportation Choices Coalition, OneAmerica, Puget Sound Sage, Futurwise, the Housing Development Consortium, and Transit Riders Union in support of the expansion of the ORCA LIFT program to all routes in Snohomish, Pierce, and King Counties, as well as implementing a low-income fare on the Sounder Train. Check out our joint letter! There are mutiple fare change options being discussed and you can view more details here. We support the option that implements a low-income fare for ALL routes in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties. Additionally, we support having a low-income fare on the Sounder train. Read Hillary’s public comment below and make sure to read our joint letter to the Sound Transit board here. The Sound Transit Board will vote on Thursday 11/19/2015. Public comment is technically closed but you can view the results of public comment here. There will also be public comment taken at the Board Meeting 11/19/2015 at the Ruth Fisher Boardroom at Union Station (401 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104). Here is what Hillary shared at the public hearing on November 5: Hello, my name is Hillary Coleman, Mobilization Coordinator at the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness, and here today on behalf of our Coalition’s member organizations to encourage you to serve Sound Transit riders across the entire system by expanding ORCA LIFT to reach riders in King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties. We are thrilled to see Sound Transit poised to take this very positive step to make transit more affordable and accessible to current and new riders. I echo much of what has been shared both in comments today, and in the joint letter from Transportation Choices Coalition, OneAmerica, Puget …

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 …

King County Council passes legislation in support of expanding King County Homeless Winter Shelter by 100 beds

November 12, 2015 by Alison Eisinger

Every year Coalition advocates speak up in support of the most possible hours and beds for the King County Winter Shelter (currently operating in the King County Administration Building). Your postcards helped influence the following motion passed on Monday, November 9, 2015. Thanks for speaking up! We encourage you to read the motion below. King County Council passed a motion expressing support for an expansion of the King County Homeless Winter Shelter for winter 2015-2016 and for a continued partnership with the city of Seattle for joint funding of an expansion of the shelter. READ the full approved motion here. Highlights of what the motion says: A. The King County council supports efforts to expand the capacity of the King County Homeless Winter Shelter from fifty to up to one hundred fifty beds for winter 2015-2016. B. The King County council supports providing a location for an expanded King County Homeless Winter Shelter for winter 2015-2016, either at the current location of the King County administration building or at another King County-owned facility in downtown Seattle, or at both, and identifying new funding partnerships sufficient to cover any combination of rent, utilities, security and facility improvements as needed. C. The King County council, as part of its continuing partnership with the city of Seattle in addressing the crisis of homelessness, encourages the city to renew its support for the King County Homeless Winter Shelter by appropriating funding sufficient to cover the costs of shelter management for up to an additional one hundred beds for winter 2015-2016.