Margie Quinn, Intern

Greetings from the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance! My name is Margie Quinn and I am the newest addition to the Housing Alliance family. I am a native of Nashville, Tennessee and a recent graduate from the University of Georgia. After graduating with a BA in Women’s Studies this May, I spent the summer talking to youth about peace and justice issues at eight different summer camps in the U.S. From school bullying to systemic poverty, I engaged in both challenging and illuminating discussions with over 1,000 high school students. This experience affirmed my interest in social activism. And with momentum from the summer, I moved to Seattle to begin an internship through the United Church of Christ’s Justice Leadership Program. The program assigns each intern to a justice-based nonprofit organization in Seattle. Fortunately for me, this means I’ll be spending the year working for the Housing Alliance.

This year I will help plan our annual Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day, Conference on Ending Homelessness, and many other Housing Alliance hosted events. Along with working on policy research, I also help with our Emerging Advocates Program, the highlight of my time here so far. Every Monday night, the Alliance works with a variety of community leaders including those who have experienced homelessness or housing instability to learn how to become advocates for housing and homelessness issues in their respective communities. We talk about the most effective ways of speaking with legislators, how to make their stories heard, and many other aspects of individual advocacy. I leave the office every Monday night feeling empowered and inspired by this program. You can ask my roommates; I don’t shut up about it!

On my first day at the Alliance, I was reading through the publication "Without Housing: Decades of Federal Housing Cutbacks, Massive Homelessness and Policy Failures" produced by Housing Alliance partner agency Western Regional Advocacy Project. The Executive Summary effectively described the issue of widespread homelessness in our country. One sentence in particular stood out to me. “The massive reality of homelessness in the United States is…a profound failure of our collective spirit and conscience to recognize the fundamental interconnection and humanity of all.” This phrase has stuck with me as I learn the interworkings of policy, advocacy, and systemic reform. The work to end homelessness seems daunting at times, but I quickly remember that working to provide affordable housing for “the humanity of all” doesn’t have to be so harrowing. After all, the root of “humanity” is literally, human. When I stop complicating the issue and simplify it to this fact alone, it seems vital to advocate for one of the most basic needs of a human being: a home.

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Since working here, I’ve come to realize the issue of homelessness is far more complex than I imagined. I am thrilled to be a part of the Housing Alliance’s team this year for that very reason. Working here forces me to examine how my own privilege has shielded me from the realities of homelessness. The Alliance has also revealed to me how central affordable housing is as a remedy for homelessness. I am eager to continue making these connections and being challenged by the work ahead. Here’s to a year of advocacy and action!