Between 2013 and 2021, the average rent in Washington state increased by 50%, but, as we all know, wages did not increase to match that growth. A worker in Washington needs to earn $40.32/hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. Over 200,000 of our neighbors across the state are facing homelessness and housing insecurity, and a disproportionate number are from BIPOC communities.
Experts are clear—housing is the solution to homelessness. Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Jay Inslee and leaders in the Legislature including Rep. Nicole Macri, Rep. Frank Chopp, Sen. June Robinson, and many others, we are making inroads to close our housing gaps.
To achieve these gains, we need a coordinated effort to inform and educate the public. Our partner, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, is an advocacy powerhouse that pushes for funding and policies to end homelessness in our state.
Every year, more than 30,000 people join their online advocacy network. In addition, and most importantly, more than 600 service providers, nonprofit board members, and supporters travel to Olympia to lobby in person for solutions to the affordable housing and homelessness crisis. This includes members of the Resident Action Project who ensure that lawmakers hear directly from people with lived experience of homelessness and housing instability.
Three things are needed to make the largest impact on the housing crisis. The Housing Alliance is doing powerful work on all of them:
- Build more affordable new homes. The Housing Alliance’s advocacy increased the state’s Housing Trust Fund from $75 million to $527 million (a historic increase!) for building, maintaining, and operating housing affordable for people with the lowest incomes. Our state needs 650,000 new homes that are affordable for people with low-incomes in the next 20 years to keep up with housing needs. This increased funding is making progress toward meeting this goal.
- Keep people in their homes. Over the last five years, the Housing Alliance has championed common sense policies for Washington’s one million renters, protecting them from unfair evictions and predatory rent increases. This includes passing legislation that prevents landlords from discriminating against tenants using housing vouchers and ensuring people have adequate legal representation when facing eviction. Currently, the Housing Alliance is working on a bill, which has been endorsed by The Seattle Times to stabilize rent increases in our state.
- When a roof isn’t enough, provide the right services at the right time. The Housing Alliance advocates for the safety and compensation of frontline service workers of housing organizations, ensuring that nonprofits can continue to attract and maintain trained staff. They’ve also successfully advocated for the state to close gaps in revenue from the Document Recording Fee (funding for homelessness services in our state is tied to residential and commercial property sales) so that market volatility doesn’t affect funding for homelessness programs and services.
The Housing Alliance is making impressive progress to rebuild a broken housing system. Their policy expertise, relationships with lawmakers, and organizing successes make them an invaluable partner in the work to end homelessness.
We believe that investing in the Housing Alliance is one of the most effective ways to turn around the housing crisis in Washington state. Join us to keep the momentum going and ensure that the state continues investing hundreds of millions to build new homes. You can do so here: Washington Low Income Housing Alliance.