Congratulations to the powerful collective of Clark County advocates for being named the recipient of our annual Nancy Amidei Movement Builder Award!  

We asked three leaders in Clark County who were instrumental in organizing their community, for some reflections. Each of these leaders – Paris Nelson, Heather Sheppard, and Siobhana McEwan – deserve recognition and awards of their own. We’re grateful for their partnership and look forward to continuing to work with them for housing justice in the future! 

“For far too long, those trusted with enacting policies for the average, every-day American have chosen to make policy decisions rooted in beliefs that they, themselves, are the ultimate expert. Those of us who organize alongside the Housing Alliance understand that the reverse is true - those closest to the issues MUST be part of the policy development. The American Dream is no longer attainable for the majority of us, and only collective organizing for equitable and just policy change can turn the tables.  

The City of Vancouver (core of the 49th LD) is one of the fastest growing cities in Washington State, no longer the sleepy little bedroom community that outsiders have often considered us. Rents in Vancouver are higher than Portland (though wages are lower), and our housing market is woefully underprepared for the growth we are experiencing. Residents from every pocket of our city are waking up to the task of advocating for our needs, and we're ready to wake the rest of the state up as well. There's no more sleeping on SW Washington's civic engagement and passion for "policy by the people"!” – Siobhana McEwan 

“Advocacy is the spark that turns passion into action, empowering people to transform their stories into powerful tools for change. It builds bridges between communities and systems and amplifies voices that deserve to be heard. Southwest Washington advocates are redefining what’s possible, taking on the things they’ve been told can’t be changed—and proving that they can.” – Heather Sheppard 

 “It’s a privilege to work alongside and prioritize residents of the Fourth Plain Corridor—Clark County’s most rent-burdened and diverse community. Nearly 70% of households in the Fourth Plain Corridor are renter-occupied. Alarmingly, 47% of residents face rent burdens exceeding 35% of their income, and nearly 25% experience extreme rent burdens surpassing 50%. With a median household income of $47,065 and 45% of individuals living below 200% of the federal poverty level, the economic challenges in our community are profound. 

Despite these barriers, Fourth Plain is home to Clark County’s most vibrant and diverse populations, where 28.4% identify as Hispanic or Latino and significant communities of color thrive, including Black, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Indigenous residents. Together, we are driving opportunities for organizing, healing, and advocacy. We are demanding the changes needed to create a well-resourced, empowered community with socio-economic autonomy and inclusive, equitable policy transformation. 

I’m honored to receive the Nancy Amidei Movement Builder Award alongside our powerful team of Clark County advocates. As someone who has experienced homelessness and housing insecurity, it is a blessing to use both my lived expertise and passion for advocacy in my work.” – Paris Nelson 

This award recognizes impactful advocacy that helps build the movement to ensure that everyone in Washington has access to a safe, healthy, affordable home. Nancy Amidei is a longtime advocate for basic needs and ending poverty and is a hero and mentor to many of us at the Housing Alliance. We recognized Nancy with a Lifetime Advocacy Award in 2015 and named an annual award in her honor, which we have presented most years since 2016. You can learn more about Nancy and her work here. 
 
We often recognize an individual with this award, but this year that was impossible! So many people in Clark County worked together to mobilize and engage their community this year. Not only did they bring more than 100 people to Olympia for Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day, but they strategized and collaborated to work on passing rent stabilization and secure more funding for affordable housing and homelessness services. 

We asked Nancy to for her thoughts on this year’s award. "What a joy it is to see so many passionate people working together for housing justice in Clark County! Advocacy, at its heart, is about recognizing the power of our shared stories and experiences to drive change. I’m thrilled to see these advocates recognized with this award. And I appreciate that the Housing Alliance doesn’t just advocate for communities but supports communities in advocating for themselves.” – Nancy Amidei 

At our annual meeting on December 12, Mercedes White Calf – our last recipient of the award – recognized Clark County advocates, including:

Heather Sheppard, the Equity and Collaborative Impact Manager at Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health (SWACH) and Laura Ellsworth, formerly the Public Policy and Engagement Manager with Council for the Homeless, and a Legislative District Lead for many years – who together organized the bus and carpool with almost 100 people coming from the Vancouver/Clark County area.  

Siobhana McEwen, Executive Director of the Southwest Washington Equity Coalition (SWEC) which is building a regional power block with a focus on the housing needs of Black and brown community members. During the 2024 legislative session, SWEC organized a powerful sign-on letter in response to Sen. Cleveland’s reasoning around voting “no” for rent stabilization, emphasizing the impact of the senator’s statement toward women of color lawmakers and the harm experienced by Black, Indigenous, and people of color. This letter was published in several newspapers throughout the state.   

Paris Nelson from Fourth Plain Forward, who has been a huge support with Southwest WA RAP & Legislative District Lead meetings, by providing an in-person venue at Fourth Plain Commons for meetings, strategizing, and recruiting new leaders. Paris also worked hard to get people to advocacy day and was the lead on organizing door-knocking in the 49th district during the session to talk with more tenants about rent stabilization.  

RAP members and Legislative District Leads, Duana Johnson, and Monica Zazueta-Hernandez Tabor testified endlessly throughout the session, and told their stories to journalists, with Monica coining the phrase repeated by lawmakers, “I’m a human being, not a dollar sign.” 

So many more Clark County advocates and organizations deserve recognition for this award, including:

Advocacy is something that everyone can do individually, but it’s even more powerful – and also more fun – to do it as a community. Congratulations to all the Clark County advocates on being recognized with the 2024 Nancy Amidei Movement Builder Award – and thank you for your work!