General Membership Meeting

General Membership Meeting – July 16, 2026

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At our July 2026 General Membership Meeting, we heard from the Washington Health Care Authority and Northwest Health Law Advocates about changes to Medicaid for asylees, refugees, and other noncitizen adults coming October 2026. The Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence shared information about the latest Trans Resource Referral Guide, including how to submit information about resources. We were also joined by King County Elections, who talked about the August 4 Primary Election, safeguarding voter information, and securing voting rights against federal actions. 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. Coalition Announcements Our next training has been scheduled for Weds, Aug 19. This Helping Homeless Students: McKinney-Vento 101 class is designed for human service workers, frontline providers, school employees, and others who work with students and families experiencing homelessness. You will learn how to help students access public school resources guaranteed by federal law under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Join us from 9-11 a.m. over Zoom. Register here. Do you believe in this Coalition? We want to hear why. We’re hosting our third annual Truth to (Staying) Power fundraiser at The Royal Room on Thurs, Sept 17 and to prepare, we’re gathering stories from our membership about how this Coalition shows up for them. Email Danielle Palmer-Friedman (danielle[at]homelessinfo[.]org), our Communications Lead, to share yours. Changes to Medicaid for Asylees, Refugees, and Other Noncitizen Adults NoHLA healthcare options for uninsured immigrants fact sheet available in English at:  https://nohla.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Immigrant-Health-HR1-Timeline-Resources.pdf  Also in Spanish: https://nohla.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/affordability-Jan-26-Spanish-ES.pdf simplified Chinese:  https://nohla.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Health-Affordability-Resources-WA-ZH_CN.pdf and Vietnamese: https://nohla.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Health-Affordability-Resources-WA-VI.pdf Trans Resource Referral Guide 2026 King County Trans Resource and Referral Guide Request Info: To Request Copies of the guide: 2026 King Co Trans Resource and Referral Guide Request Form – Fill …

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General Membership Meeting – June 18, 2026

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For our June GMM, we learned about crisis care options in King County (including DESC’s Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Team), Washington’s summer EBT program (SUN Bucks), and talked about federal impacts on our local system of housing and care. King County Crisis Care Washington’s SUN Bucks program Time to Take Action Protect HUD’s Equal Access Rule The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has proposed a rule change would remove protections for people to access shelter, housing and services that best fit their gender identity, instead making those resources contingent on matching biological sex. That would further marginalize trans, intersex, and nonbinary people who are already at extremely high risk of homelessness and dangerous situations while they are homeless. Leave a comment today in opposition to this rule change. Comments are due at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, June 29. Sample comment below: 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 at https://endhomelessness.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Trans-Homelessness-Brief-July-2020.pdf. Instead of discriminating against trans, nonbinary and intersex people experiencing …

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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.

2026 Legislative Wrap Up – April 16, 2026

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At our 2026 Legislative Wrap Up, we welcomed Washington state lawmakers and advocates who are champions for homes, homeless services, and progressive revenue. We were joined by Representative April Berg (LD-44), Representative Strom Peterson (LD-21) and Senator Alvarado (LD-34), as well as Emma Scalzo from the Balance Our Tax Code (BOTC) coalition, Emily Vynanek from the Washington Budget & Policy Center, and Lianna Kressin from the Statewide Poverty Action Network (SPAN) to unpack the 2026 Washington State legislative session and celebrate our wins together! 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. What the Millionaires Tax means for our communities Jump to 09:42 in the recording to hear Rep. April Berg speak on this new legislation. The Coalition joined the Balance our Tax Code (BOTC) coalition and the Statewide Poverty Action Network (SPAN) in supporting the Millionaires Tax (Senate Bill 6346). Representative Berg was a huge champion of this much-needed update to our tax code, which will add a 9.9 percent tax on household incomes above $1 million. When it goes into effect in 2029, the Millionaires Tax will help fund a significant expansion of the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), which puts more money into the pockets of people living on low incomes. It will make other important changes too, like making school breakfast and lunch free for all K-12 students in Washington’s public schools and eliminating sales tax on certain hygiene products and over-the-counter medicine. House Bill 2266 passes for Housing Fairness Jump to 18:34 in the recording to hear from Rep. Strom Peterson and others about House Bill 2266 and what it means for our communities. The Coalition and our community of advocates across …

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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 – February 19, 2026

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During our February 2026 meeting, we were joined by Senator Patty Murray’s staff to hear about federal funding for housing and homelessness services in 2026, learned about a new legal aid hotline for long-term-care residents from the Washington Office of Civil Legal Aid, got a crash course on progressive revenue and the Washington tax code from Balance Our Tax Cod and the WA Budget & Policy Center, and heard a mid-session update on the 2026 legislative session from the Coalition’s Community Policy Manager Hali Willis. 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. Federal funding for housing & homelessness services The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, passed in early February, authorized federal funding for homelessness and housing programs in 2026 and set up crucial guardrails for the Continuum of Care (CoC) program, which supports 4,400 homes in King County alone. Senator Patty Murray and her team did considerable work on these federal funding bills to ensure they protect programs that work. We thank them for their good work and are reminded that advocacy works! We must continue contacting our lawmakers, sharing how policy decisions impact us, and activating people in our networks to speak up, too. Read more about 2026 Fiscal Year HUD funding and protections for the CoC program here. New legal aid hotline for long-term-care residents In January 2026, the Washington Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA) opened an intake hotline to provide legal counsel for people living in long-term-care facilities. If somebody is facing discharge or has been discharged from a community-based long-term care facility, this hotline can provide them legal information, advice, and representation. The statewide intake line, run by Disability Rights WA, …

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General Membership Meeting – January 15, 2026

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During our first meeting of 2026, we spent some time with new Seattle City Councilmember from District 2, Eddie Lin. We were also joined by King County Public Health’s Overdose Prevention and Response Training Team to learn about the resources they offer people, organizations, and programs. The Seattle Housing Authority and the King County Housing Authority updated us on the termination of federal funding for the Emergency Housing Voucher program, and we took some time to discuss the state legislative session (Jan 12 – March 12, 2026) and reviewed our priority bills. 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. Seattle City Councilmember Eddie Lin, D2 Eddie Lin was elected to Seattle City Council in November of 2025. He represents District 2 (South Seattle, Yesler Terrace to Rainier Beach). Jump to 00:06:03 in the recording to hear from CM Lin. Before joining City Council, CM Lin worked in the City Attorney’s office for eight years. For six of those years, he supported the Seattle Office of Housing. His professional expertise is in housing finance and city government, and he’s hopeful to learn more about direct service from experts in that field. CM Lin is the current chair of Seattle City Council’s Land Use Committee and the co-chair of the Housing Committee. In terms of housing and homelessness, CM Lin is focused on the following priorities: You can contact CM Lin at eddie.lin[at]seattle[.]gov or you can reach out to CM Lin’s Chief of Staff, Stephanie Velasco, at Stephanie.Velasco2[at]seattle[.]gov. For scheduling a meeting with CM Lin, please email Garrett.PlescowMoore[at]seattle[.]gov. King County Public Health’s Overdose Prevention and Response Training King County Public Health’s Overdose Prevention and Response Training Team consists …

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2026 Legislative Preview – December 11, 2025

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Our December General Membership Meeting was dedicated to previewing the new year’s state legislative session. We were joined by four state lawmakers and two statewide partner organizations to hear what they’re focused on during the short 2026 state legislative session, which starts Monday, January 12 and is slated to run until Thursday, March 12. Our December meeting also featured Easy Advocacy 101, helped us find our state legislative districts, introduced Advocacy BINGO, and included two actions we took together!  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. Easy Advocacy 101 Jump to 0:05:36 to view this section of our meeting. The first step to being an effective advocate is knowing who represents you in the state legislature. Each constituent has two state representatives and one state senator. Find out what legislative district you vote in and who represents you here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/ During each state legislative session, we will see new bills and bills from previous years. Sometimes it takes years of sustained advocacy for a bill to pass into law! Washington state is facing a significant budget deficit going into session. The state will also need to spend more on public benefits, like SNAP, based on new federal regulations, so new revenue is necessary to sustain current homes, shelter, and services. Progressive revenue will be key! Our 2026 Legislative Priorities (DRAFT EDITION) Each year, the Coalition tracks key bills and budget measures that will help us achieve our legislative priorities. Bills and budget measures change throughout the session, so stay tuned for updates on this page of our website. As of Thursday, December 11, our state legislative priorities for 2026 are: Advocacy just means speaking up! There …

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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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In-Person General Membership Meeting with the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence – October 30, 2025

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Our combined membership meeting with the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence (CEGV) covered the intersection of homelessness and gender-based violence to better equip service providers, advocates, and community members to serve people with complex needs. Meeting attendees included a broad representation of homeless service providers and gender-based violence advocacy programs and organizations, which provided valuable opportunities for connection and allowed us to collaboratively explore resources offered by the program attendees represented. The broad representation of providers and organizations also aided in a robust discussion and exploration for future collaborations. The Lay of the Land CEGV’s Housing Systems Manager Hannah Whitworth grounded our discussion by sharing the first minute and thirty seconds of the following video:  The two issues of gender-based violence and homelessness can perpetuate each other, causing cycles where a survivor feels they have no other option but to stay in an unsafe living situation to maintain housing, or they become unhoused due to their experiences of gender-based violence. Additionally, people experiencing homelessness are more at risk of experiencing sexual violence before, during, and after periods of homelessness. Our community and systems must develop and maintain housing responses that fit the needs of survivors at any point in their lives, which can be wide ranging and diverse depending on where they are in their journey as a survivor and in navigating homelessness.   Hannah highlighted the existing network available to support survivors and the entry points into the DV Coordinated Housing Access Point (DVCHAP) including the DVHopeline for survivors and anyone working with survivors: While supportive and necessary, these efforts are underfunded and insufficient to address the needs of all impacted in our region. We learned of the complexity of disclosure and personal identification as a DV survivor, and how support in those circumstances result in homeless service providers working with …

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