Recent Blog Posts
Joaquin Uy, Communications Specialist
This legislative session was a doozy of a session. With more than a billion dollar deficit, a state Supreme Court mandate to properly fund education, and a dramatic leadership change in the senate, we knew this was going to be a challenging session from the very start. The session had its highs and lows, as well as very memorable moments. Check out our top 10 list of those moments below:
10. Happy Birthday, Senator Hobbs! – Tuesday, February 12
SB 5568 (dubbed "Part 2 of the Fair Tenant Screening Act") was to be discussed for the first time in the Senate Financial Institutions, Housing and Insurance Committee. Senate Senator Steve Hobbs (44th - Lake Stevens) is the chair of the committee, and he made it no secret that the February 12th hearing fell on his birthday. Sen. Hobbs began the convening with a tongue-in-cheek request for “positive testimony” and birthday wishes. You can see the light-hearted birthday wishes and mostly positive (and long) testimony from each speaker below:
9. Housing Alliance/Poverty Action Network Press Conference. – Tuesday, April 2
We held a joint press conference with our friends over at the Statewide Poverty Action Network to highlight the importance of the Housing and Essential Needs program; the Aged, Blind, and Disabled program; the Housing Trust Fund; TANF; and the Washington Families Fund. Senator Jeannie Darneille (27th - Tacoma) opened the press conference by sharing why she is so passionate about protecting safety net programs. Then, speakers shared their personal stories about how important these programs have been for themselves and their families and how the programs successfully transitioned them out of homelessness.
7. Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day. – Monday, February 11
"If you build it, they will come." And come they did. Over 650 advocates representing 43 out of the 49 legislative districts made this year’s Advocacy Day the largest ever, blowing last year’s attendance out of the water.* Check out this video highlighting moments from that day:
*The attendance for the 2012 Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day was zero because the event was canceled due to snowy weather!
6. What do we want? Homes for all! When do we want it? Now! – Monday, February 11
This moment also comes from Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day 2013, specifically the rally at the steps of the capitol building. Housing Alliance Executive Director Rachael Myers and formerly homeless youth Brittany Lang led the rally attendees in a powerful chant that could be heard even inside the capitol building. We wanted to bring some raucous protest energy to the capitol. And thanks to all who came out, we brought it.
5. Senator Jim Hargrove and Lt. Governor Brad Owen’s humorous exchange of jabs before passage of the operating budget. – Friday, June 28
You can tell Senator Jim Hargrove (24th - Hoquiam) and Lt. Governor Brad Owen have spent way too much time together in Olympia during the budget tug of war. It did take 153 days and one-and-a-half special sessions to get there. The final budget was a mixed bag. But the two gentlemen hurling insults was some funny political theater. You can see our final analysis of the budget here.
4. House allocates $70 million for affordable housing, includes $51 million to the Housing Trust Fund. – Saturday, June 29
Waiting to find out how much the legislature will be investing in the Housing Trust Fund is always an anxious experience for those in the affordable housing community. Although, we were initially disappointed to see the House’s capital budget allocating just $51.5 million for the Housing Trust Fund (with additional funding for other affordable housing projects bringing the total to $70 million), your advocacy made sure it wasn’t zero, which is always a possibility. Below is the moment of truth, when the Senate officially passed SB 5035, the capital budget bill into law.
Finally...
3. Senator Nathan Schlicher blows us away with his impromptu speech about homeless ER patients. – Friday, June 28
Back in April, the Senate was debating the first version of the operating budget. Senator Darneille introduced Amendment 240, which would have restored funding to several safety net programs protecting our most vulnerable neighbors. Wunderkind Senator Nathan Schlicher (26th - Gig Harbor), who holds both medical and law degrees, wowed viewers with his speech about patients sleeping in his emergency room because they had nowhere else to go. (Did we mention that he’s an ER doc too???) Unfortunately, the amendment didn't pass by one vote.
Honorable Mention
Later, the Senate was finally debating a budget that both sides of the aisle reluctantly accepted. On the floor was discussion of Amendment 382, sponsored by Senator John Smith (7th-Colville), which would reject the expansion of Medicaid in Washington State. Many pundits and analysts didn’t really expect this amendment to pass because rejecting Medicaid funds needed for the budget would mean going back to the drawing board for the operating budget. This Sen. Schlicher speech is also worth watching:
2. Governor Jay Inslee signs SSB 5568, Part 2 of the Fair Tenant Screening Act into law. – Tuesday, April 23
The newly passed Fair Tenant Screening Act prevents screening companies from reporting a tenant’s status as a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. This law goes into effect the first day of next year and is a victory for survivors and tenants who have had their reports be a significant obstacle to a home. Congratulations to all the advocates, community members, and activists who worked so hard to protect some of our most vulnerable tenants. Bravo!
1. Housing advocates help save funding for effective homelessness programs. – Friday, June 28
When the Senate first released their budget, they made deep funding cuts to the Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) program that provides assistance to folks with a temporary disability. The Senate also eliminated funding for the Aged, Blind & Disabled (ABD) program that helps folks with permanent disabilities. The knockout punch was when they also cut Consolidated Homeless Grants (CHG) by a whopping 50%. CHGs are the state's primary funding to counties for their various homeless housing services. By our estimates, this cut would have caused an additional 11,500 people to experience homelessness. Thankfully, we went into special sessions giving advocates across the state the much-needed time to tell their legislators that this is unacceptable. Here is that final vote in the Senate, officially saving the programs we all fought so hard to protect.
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