Washblog

Tenant-based rental assistance is Washington’'s largest source of affordable housing. Low-income renters from across the state rely on this support to stabilize their lives, raise families and engage in their communities.

We should ensure that people in need of housing assistance are able to effectively utilize section-8 vouchers and other forms of government assistance that help them pay the rent.

Source of Income Protection is a low-cost and fair solution that will close the loophole in Washington’s civil rights protections and help families utilize legitimate and verifiable subsidies to pay their rent and to secure affordable, stable and healthy housing.

It has come up in the legislature before, but hasn'’t made it out of committee. With the new composition of senators and representatives, we are going to push this issue hard to make it happen this year!

A number of opportunities (in additional to hearings on specific bills) are planned that you can plug into in bringing your voice to the legislature to support protection of renters and ensure affordable housing and poverty justice. Your commitment is what will make the difference this year. The more advocates show up, the more we can get done. I hope you will set aside a day or two (or three) to make a real difference this year.

Please attend one or all of the below events:

1.   Poverty Action Summit & March on the Capitol
MLK Day – Monday, January 15th

Join us as we march on the state capitol in Olympia to call upon the state legislature and the Governor to make ending poverty a priority. As the number of people living in poverty increases in Washington State, we are urging our lawmakers to support policies that would allow access to opportunity, health and well-being, and work that pays!  

8:45 am - Summit Registration, St. John's Episcopal Church (114 20th Ave SE, Olympia)

1:00 pm - March on the state capitol

Register online with the Statewide Poverty Action Network at www.povertyaction.org,  or call 1-866-789-7726.  

Transportation, childcare and lunch available - please fill out the online registration form and make a note about transportation in the "special needs" box.

2.   It All Starts At Home – Housing & Homeless Advocacy Day

Thursday, February 1st

This year we will use Housing & Homelessness Advocacy Day to ensure that policymakers in Olympia understand the foundational role that a home plays in education, healthcare, jobs and transportation. Our message, "It All Starts At Home", is all about the connection between affordable housing, supportive services, tenant protections and manufactured housing preservation and the ability of a family to succeed, of a senior to thrive and of a child to reach their potential.

8:30 AM – Registration at United Churches, 110 11th Ave SE (11th and Capitol Way in Olympia)

9:15 AM - 1st Time Advocate Training & Legislative Briefing

10:45 AM - RALLY ON THE CAPITOL STEPS

11:30 AM - 2PM Meetings with legislators

Register online with the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance at www.wliha.org by January 18th. Childcare and lunch available. You will receive additional instructions & details via email after you register.

3.   The WROC/NOW lobby day

President’s Day – Monday, February 19th

10am – Registration at First Christian Church, 701 Franklin Street SE in Olympia

12pm – Lunch and meeting with legislators

The Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition in collaboration with the National Organization for Women is working to address issues of poverty including increasing TANF/GAU grants which has been raised in 14 years as well as stopping full family TANF sanctions.  Also we seek to increase access to education, a living wage, regulate payday lenders, and health care!

WROC will also be holding a legislative training on Monday, February 5th at the First United Methodist Church, 1224 Legion Way SE in Olympia.  We start with a potluck at 5:30, the training will be from 6 - 8.  We have on site childcare.

Register with Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition at (360)352-9716 or toll free (866)343-9716 or online at www.wroc.org. Lunch and childcare provided.

Call Pat with the Thurston County Tenants Union if you have questions about any of these events or are looking for scholarships to attend them:  (360) 943-3036 or tctu@tenantsunion.org