You Can Act Now!
The days are longer, the fruit is tastier, and the advocacy opportunities are riper. Summer is here and though school is out, local government is still in session. There are a lot of moving pieces going through local councils, so your advocacy is needed to show elected leaders that people are engaged and watching to see them prioritize creating affordable, inclusive communities.
Take Action Now on…
- To secure and protect our investments in the human services sector and the social safety net it supports, we need to adjust human services contracts with inflation. This is a yearly problem, and we need to pass a sustainable solution. Send a message to Seattle City Council now! Join us for the committee vote on July 11th!
- Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are an important piece to increasing housing options in single-family zoned neighborhoods. The legislation that passed out of Committee this past week and will be up for a full Council vote on July 1 would reduce the barriers to building ADUs which are great options for students, older adults, and homeowners looking to create opportunities for more neighbors! Reach out to Seattle City Council to support and join us for the vote on July 1!
- This past legislative session, HB 1406 was passed giving local cities and counties a new funding tool to spur the preservation and production of affordable housing by retaining a portion of the state’s sales tax. Local governments have 6 months to pass a resolution of intent to use these funds, so your local leaders need to hear from you that you want them to maximize the impact of these funds by pooling their funds with neighboring cities through existing partnerships. Send a message now to encourage your elected leaders to use every tool in their toolkit.
- The City of Burien is passing a suite of tenant protections including a Rental Licensing Inspection Program. Programs like this are crucial in ensuring that people live in healthy environments and are empowered as tenants. Reach out to Burien to learn more about these programs and upcoming community meetings.
- The City of Seattle is unique in that we have the Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) which is an incredible program that funds community based organizations from capacity building to development to ensure that communities are able to prevent displacement by leading the efforts to create community-driven and community-reflective projects. This past funding cycle they received more than $20 million worth of applications for only $5 million of available funds. Join us and others as we advocate for increased and sustainable funding for the EDI including the short term rental tax and the sweetened beverage tax. Reach out to Seattle City Council and join us in testifying on June 26th at 2pm.
It can seem overwhelming with so much saturating your twitter feed, but every day there is an opportunity for you to act and make a difference on the very issues that seem so daunting. The recently released Out of Reach report found that in King County a minimum wage worker would have to work more than 122 hours to afford a market rate 2 bedroom apartment. To put King County back in reach of the workers we all depend on, we need more affordable homes and advocacy on these issues helps us get there. Thank you for your advocacy, and reach out to Leah with questions on how to engage.
