By Faith Williams for Council for the Homeless
After a fast-moving 60 days, Washington State legislators wrapped up the intense 2022 session on March 10 at 11:30pm. The end of the session left advocates hopeful as our legislators made historic investments into the affordable housing and homelessness crisis by addressing new legislation as well as related funding.
Direct service providers and people who have lived experience with housing instability, injustice, and homelessness, like CFTH staff and partners, worked towards pushing advocacy for the budget this year byhighlighting the importance of communicating with legislators, and participating and testifying in virtual committee hearings. The budget that passed happened because our legislators listened to community needs, took courageous action, and made a bold investment to help address one of the most significant human crises our state is facing.
Among the budget passed by the legislature were:
- Capital Budget: Invest in affordable homes – $440M
- Operating Budget: Social Services – $118M
- Increase Aged, Blind, Disabled Cash Grant from $197 to $417 a month
- Workforce capacity and Sustainability for nonprofit homelessness service providers – $55M
Policies passed by the legislature include:
Senate Bill 5749 Rental Payment Options, sponsored by Senator Yasmin Trudeau, requires landlords to provide rental payment options beyond just an online portal.
House Bill 1643 REET Tax Exemption, sponsored by Representative Hackney, creates a real estate excise tax exemption to give nonprofit affordable housing developers and local governments a leg up when competing for properties, making it easier and quicker to build more affordable housing.
House Bill 1866 Apple Health and Homes, sponsored by Representative Frank Chopp, creates the “Apple Health and Homes” program, which will increase and streamline permanent supportive housing, pairing it with health services.
Senate Bill 5815 Identicard Program, sponsored by Vancouver’s own Senator Annette Cleveland, creates a way for people experiencing homelessness who lose their driver’s license to get a new one at no cost at the DMV.
What does this all mean for Clark County?
Watch a video debrief of the investments and policies, including what they mean for Clark County. Listen to Clark County State lawmakers Sen. Annette Cleveland, Rep. Paul Harris, and Rep. Monica Stonier, discuss the policy and funding that passed. CFTH board member Cheryl Pfaff and CFTH staff Laura Ellsworth share what we are planning for the future and the role of advocacy in CFTH’s work.
Thank you and Looking Ahead
None of this would have been possible without the numerous advocates that took action across Washington in just 60 days, including members of the Resident Action Project, CFTH board and staff, partners, and friends. People taking action during a short legislative session is what a serious commitment to housing justice looks like. These investments are because of your hard work and are a demonstration of the power of advocacy and organizing. To all of you who participated in this successful legislative session, we say thank you for making your voice heard and continuing to work towards preventing and ending homelessness in our community.
In 2023, CFTH will continue working in conjunction with the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance to improve tenant protections. We will mobilize housing advocates and providers to create laws that help keep people in their homes, and make homelessness shorter when it does occur.
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