With great sadness, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance joins so many across our state in mourning the passing of Frank Chopp. Frank was a fierce and tireless advocate for low-income people, those experiencing homelessness, and the basic human right to safe, stable, and affordable housing. His impact on our movement and on our state is immeasurable, and his loss is felt deeply by all of us who continue the fight for housing justice.

Frank's housing related accomplishments are far too many to attempt to list here. Just a few include:

• Co-founding of the Housing Trust Fund which has now invested over $2 billion to create affordable homes for low-income households;
• The creation of Apple Health and Homes, which uses Medicaid funding for housing related services, moving toward his vision that if housing is necessary to keep someone healthy, it should be available by prescription and paid for by health insurance;
• The creation of the Home and Hope program that turns underutilized public property into affordable homes;
• His vision, creation, and expansion of the document recording fees that now fund homelessness services and down payment assistance for people impacted by redlining and racially restrictive real estate covenants.

He was also the dreamer and visionary behind many other formative bills to create local funding options for affordable housing, to defend and expand rental assistance for disabled people, and so much more.

Frank dedicated his life to making sure that everyone had the resources and opportunities they needed to thrive. He knew that stable housing is the foundation for everything else in life, and he worked relentlessly to make that a reality for thousands of Washingtonians. His leadership helped secure billions of dollars for affordable housing, expand services for people experiencing homelessness, and pass policies that lifted up communities often ignored by those in power.

Frank started his career as a community organizer, and even after decades in the Legislature, he never stopped organizing. He built coalitions, mobilized lawmakers, and rallied organizations--including the Housing Alliance--to take on big fights and win real change. He never lost sight of the power of people coming together and never settled for good enough. There was always more we could, and must, do.

As a longtime friend and mentor to so many in the housing justice movement, Frank helped launch and shape the careers of countless advocates, lawmakers, and community leaders. He was generous with his knowledge, his wisdom, and his time. His mentorship helped build a generation of leaders who will carry forward his fight with the same tenacity and compassion that defined his work.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to be one of the many people who Frank inspired and supported early in my career. I won't forget him telling a room of homelessness advocates many years ago that the time for sitting out of politics was over-- "if you care about ending homelessness, you have to get political." We had to move beyond church basements and nonprofit boardrooms and take our call for justice to the halls of power. Almost 30 years later, I'm grateful for that lesson and proud to be part of an organization and a movement that does just that, with real impact for our communities.

Frank's legacy lives on in every home built, every family that found stability, and every person whose life was changed by his relentless advocacy. It reminds us that this fight is not only necessary--it's winnable.

In his honor, we recommit ourselves to the work he championed. We'll keep pushing for bold policies, standing up for communities in need, and refuse to accept the status quo when it leaves people behind. Frank's legacy is a call to action--a reminder that change happens when we organize and demand a future where everyone has a safe place to call home.

Our hearts are with Frank's family, friends, and everyone whose lives were touched by his work. We will miss him deeply, but his spirit will continue to guide us in the fight for housing justice.

Rachael Myers (she/her)
Executive Director

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