Presentation Minutes


Washington Low Income Housing alliance - https://www.wliha.org/

  • Some supplementary information -  Legislative Session Summary, a Legislative victories press release, and coming learning opportunities
  • Michele Thomas, Director of Policy and Advocacy - michelet@wliha.org
  • We were at the May meeting, when we talked about our legislative victories (read all about it at https://www.pchomeless.org/MeetingMinutes/Details?id=414 –ed)
  • John Stovall, Member Organizer – johns@wliha.org
  • Kiki Serantes, Community Organizer – kikis@wliha.org (probably no relation to the flying witch in Kiki’s Delivery Service, as I think that film may actually be a work of fiction. –ed)
  • Jamala Henderson, Communications Specialist – jamalah@wliha.org (it was all a bit fuzzy for a few minutes as I registered the fact that the amazing Jamala Henderson, of KUOW fame, is in the same room as me.  I overcame my awestruck stupor to ask for a signed photo, but was sadly rebuffed. At least I still have my signed Reiny Cohen photo… –ed).   
  • If you aren’t familiar with the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, we work on state level issues, but can help locally. We sometimes dabble in National issues.  We are a state-wide organization.
  • The legislative session is over.  In the off season, we work on our priorities for the coming session.  We reach out to communities across Washington State – your experiences should inform our priorities. 
  • We try to make sure the many issues you work on will have an immediate impact of people experiencing homelessness (I’m guessing they are hoping for a positive impact – they seemed like nice people. –ed).  We always ask for more money, tenant issues, and better policies that facilitate more housing - generally policies that serve us better.
  • We’ll do this across the State, and take the feedback to our policy committee and board.
  • The next Legislative session starts in January. 
  • There were Big wins last year – an increase to Housing and Essential Needs (HEN – info at https://www.dshs.wa.gov/esa/community-services-offices/housing-and-essential-needs -ed), affordable housing trust fund funding, and House Bill 1406 – diversion of state sales tax for local use on affordable housing.
  • Cynthia Stewart and Maureen Howard are on the public policy committee – you can join too.
  • The visibility of unsheltered homelessness has pushed this agenda
  • You guys are so much more organized than any other organization across the state (Pierce County rocks –ed.)
  • There is a Housing alliance action fund that endorses candidates – it is a 501(c)(4).  More candidates are seeking our endorsements.
  • Your work with local lawmakers is vital – they are the bench – those who are elected to local offices are typically the elected that go to the State legislature. 
  • Many of you came to our homeless and housing advocacy day.  Over 600 folks this year.
  • Your advocacy has been key. 
  • John
  • Need to build power over the interim – the housing alliance can build capacity in each legislative district.  The Leads Program – a volunteer opportunity to step up – if you’ve participated in advocacy before and want to take the next step, you can become a Legislative District Lead.  You can build on the work you’ve already been doing – hosting a lawmaker meeting.  Build your local network.  Who has a network of 10 people who would advocate if asked?  Who has met with their legislator?  You all can lead.  We’ll help.  It is just a 1-year commitment (but you have to give them your credit card number, and it will auto-renew if you don’t cancel.  Kidding. Sort of. –ed).  We want at least two Legislative District Leads in each community. 
  • Kiki
  • Raise your hands if you’ve heard of the Resident Action Project (https://residentactionproject.org/ ) – changing state policy through storytelling and civic action.  Mostly led by a 7-person steering committee, they are brining organizational skills to their communities, while informing our state policy.  We have some opportunities for folks with some lived experience with homelessness and housing instability to do some storytelling.  I’m available for one on ones to work on this.  I’ll pass that information around after the presentation.  RAP Summit (I totally heard RAC and just spent way too much time googling that. Looks like it was actually RAP.  Man, I hate TLAs – Three Letter Acronyms… –ed.) is coming in the fall.  Some opportunities for story telling on the blog.  Training opportunities are coming up soon.  We are brining together a cross-training session next month with Oregon and California, to resource share and skill build. 
  • Jamala Henderson <editor still star-struck>
    • My role is to be a communicator and a messenger for all our policies with the folks with lived experiences.  I need to meet and talk to as many people as possible.  I need stories about the people you are serving.  I’m very interested in sharing those stories in blog form, so get with me if you have stories (any chance of an autographed photo if someone were to get you an amazing blog post?  Asking for a friend… -ed) We are looking for folks to get the message out about what is happening in your area.  Living in Seattle, it is easy to focus on housing issues there – but we want to highlight all the different stories across the state.  If your organization is not a member of the Alliance, please join.  Visit https://www.wliha.org/.  I also do media relations – help folks get information right. 
    • November 6 and 7, Conference to End Homelessness is in Spokane (https://www.wliha.org/conference ). We do have scholarships available for people with personal experience with homelessness and housing stability, as well as folks new to homeless service providing.  If you need help with a scholarship, we are happy to help folks complete the application
  • Michele
    • Go to http://leg.wa.gov/ to lookup you representatives.  Put your address in to see state level and federal representatives. 
    • The question is, what can the State do to impact affordable housing or influence what your local jurisdiction is doing? 
  • Upcoming Legislative Session –
    • They meet every year – they convene on the 2nd Monday in January. 
    • Our system is a biennial system – they only have to pass a budget – but also passed some 460 bills last session.  We have lots of opportunities to pass bill to alleviate homelessness. 
    • Who is at the legislature matters a lot.  With a new Speaker, lots will ride on that decision (spoiler alert, it is Laurie Jinkins of Tacoma. –ed)
    • 2020 is the 2nd half of the biennium – it is just a 60 day long session.  Whatever bills get put on only have 60 days to get through the long process.  We want realistic chances to pass bill.  There isn’t a big chance to ask for new investments – our budget asks are much smaller – just small changes or supplemental changes. 
  • 5 questions for you all
    • Is homelessness being criminalized in your community? Many local bodies determine homeless policies that may or may not criminalize homelessness.  State law can be made to prevent some criminalization
      • Theresa – in Tacoma, because the City council is vague about where they can camp, there is not enforcement of encampments.  The same 50 or 60 people are moving around and creating harmful relationship.  I this is because of the City is not making clear rules about where folks can lay down their heads. (I’m not sure I quite got Theresa’s comments right – sorry Theresa). 
      • Maureen – the police are pretty clear telling us they will tell people to move on, but won’t arrest them for being homeless, unless there is an outstanding warrant.
      • Haili – in Fife and in Tacoma – cops say they have to move on or get a trespassing charge.  They get arrested for trespassing and then don’t go to their court appointment. Trespassing is handed out like candy.
      • Jeremy – in 26th Legislative district.  Gig harbor town talk – lots of neighbors calling the police to address homelessness. 
      • Next to Carolyn read – lots of cars being lived in – get their car towed, and lose their “home” and all their stuff.  Some creativity and innovation needs to be addressed.  John – what statewide policy?  Instead of criminalizing where they park, they need another option.  They have no control over the situation.
      • Al – need to  give people a place they can do something.  I would like to see clarification whether a City must have a homeless shelter within its City.  Can criminal action be taken against someone that won’t leave a city? 
      • Joann Iverson – nurse and working with homeless since I was 16.  I work with Nativity House Respite Care – I still hear stories about people exiting jail or hospitals without shoes on their feet (we had one during the first big snow day this year – came to our family day center with decent shoes, but paper hospital pants.  Thanks Salvation Army for taking her in for the night. And getting her pants.  We had coats and scarfs and gloves, but the Salvation Army made the magic happen –ed).  Tired of seeing patients lay on the street with nothing.  Saw a gal who was 78 years old, someone with CDIF, diabetes out of control, on chemotherapy, someone having a baby, what is going on?
      • Carolyn Read – St. Leo’s Parrish – is there any way to promote a study comparing the cost of homelessness vs. the tax breaks that wealthy condo units are getting.  Point Ruston – gets tax breaks – at least $80k over 8 years – how can we compare these things and make recommendations and create incentives for developers.  I’d rather see that $80k go into housing.  Or the old YMCA model of single rooms and shared common areas (I still remember this NPR story about a guy that lived for like 65 years or something in the same YMCA single room in New York – super cool story of his life and the community he lived in.  He was a college professor or banker or something – he could have afforded more, but that small room in a sociable setting was all he ever wanted. And I’m not mentioning an NPR story just to ingratiate myself to Jamala.  Why would you even think that. –ed.)
      • Larry – League of Women Voters – need to look for ways to give positive feedback to cops.  Most cops feel trapped.  A homeless family I’m working with was arrested and their car impounded.  Both officers had body cams, and when the family had the body cam video, the chief did a review of the body cam arrest. (I missed part of the story here. –Ed.) And we need to give positive feedback to cops when they do well.
      • Glenn Kelly – cops are in a difficult position – before we go throwing stones in that direction, they are between a rock and a hard place – it is tough to give the homeless population good news, and giving them bad news is much rougher.  We need to make sure that any law or bill doesn’t take from any law we already have in place.  We’ve lost things that didn’t get replaced by a new bill.  A lot of man hours went into something that looked lika good thing, but they really needed to do their homework before making the law.
      • Nate – There is an uneven treatment of the homeless depending on where they are.  They have to learn where it is OK to be. 
    • What are the most significant barriers to housing that tentents face in the for-profit, private rental market
      • Julianna – one of the problems is when a tenant won’t leave a property and don’t have any way to leave a property – senior or disabled have to go to the courts to advocate for themselves.  Perhaps have community liaison to assist folks that are at risk – if they aren’t unable to leave their home – Adult Protective Service’s hands are tied. 
      • Justin – landlords are not notarizing their tenant agreements, and a landlord was able to increase the rent by $500.  That law needs to be changed.  Michele – only leases over 1 year need to be notarized.  Jamala – trying to collect information about landlords that are using unfair practices against tenants – we need to collect this.  (you can e-mail those stories to Jamala at jamalah@wliha.org ).
      • Housing stock is an issue itself.  We need to protect the existing housing stock. And we need to increase stock.  You don’t try to house a low-income person in Tacoma – you have to go out to Lakewood and Spanaway.
      • Theresa – New Connections – yes a land trust would be good – one of the most logical things you can do.  Also, a criminal history is a huge barrier – maybe incentive a case-by-case basis for landlords – not a blanket policy.
      • Alexis – Landlord Liaison Program – I’m here because you are here.  The feedback we get from landlords are the behavioral issues that tenants cause – which creates barriers for landlords to open more units up.  We have the County risk mitigation funding on top of the state money – and that helps.  We need to provide tenants education on being good tenants.  Landlords are more open to education tenants.
      • Barb – many folks who are homeless are facing mental or physical problems – often need wraparound services
    • What makes it hardest for people to get out of homelessness. 
      • Gerrit – crack the nut of SSI – people with no hope of increase their income over $771 per month.  Where can they live? (maybe in something that the United Way in Salem Oregon is trying to do - https://www.salemreporter.com/posts/1050 - I love this project. –ed)
      • Barb – growing part is the elderly losing their homes.  People that work all their lives and lose their homes because of increases in taxes and healthcare. 
      • Nurse – something needs to change for the elderly – nursing homes get rewards for keeping folks alive – I don’t understand whey nursing homes decline patients – understaffed.  Need more palliative care.  James – if you are medically fragile, if it is difficult to find housing. If you have behavioral health issues or substance use issues, it can be very challenging.  Not all homes take Medicaid and complex issues are often considered outside of the scope of work for a nursing home.
      • Systems are very siloed – Glen will get someone in inpatient treatment, which gets them sober, and then discharge to what?  All these systems where you thought you were getting help often just return people to their bad situations.
      • Question – even if we have someone who can get in a room, they don’t have an ability to save up for a deposit.  Pets are tough to place as well.  Transportation is a challenge – and can’t get the services they need from where they can get housing. 
      • Maureen – No person identified as homeless are not admitted to a hospital, but  called “under observation”.  A change in the last year has resulted in lots of folks “under observation” so that insurance doesn’t have to get them the next level of service – I’m not sure how much control the state has in this.  If you are homeless in Washington and go to the Emergency Room, you can’t be simply identified as under observation, but must be admitted. 
      • Nate – often minimum income requirements – a discrimination tool instead of the income type discrimination that was outlawed. 
    • What is working and what do you want more of?
      • Lauren – more wrap around services  - we need to do warm handoffs.  We don’t do coordinated entry.  We need a way to ensure the most vulnerable people that get into HMIS – that they are walked through the system. 
      • Jeremy – what is working – calls to action work very well.  A lot of the issues with the policy discussion is that homelessness and mental health often seem one and the same – if homelessness and mental health could work together.  I’m sure you’ve done this before.
      • Carolyn Weisz – I don’t know how it is going, but the conversations around Accessory Dwelling Units and rezoning – if the State could put pressure on.  The fact that zoning is grounded in racism, if the state could put pressure on rezoning, that would be good.  House Bill 1923 (https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1923&Year=2019&Initiative=false )– helps by offering local jurisdictions to remove some of those barriers., but still more work to do.
      • Low barrier shelters work – Bailey Boushay house in Seattle (https://www.virginiamason.org/bailey-boushay ) – started as an AIDS house – good model, located in a neighborhood.  It was the first shelter run by nurses.  Edward Thomas house ( https://www.uwmedicine.org/provider-resource/refer-patient/medical-respite ) – triage to  primary care – nurses in the day. 
      • Al – Decades ago, I did a study in Seattle to track 100 of the most frequent fliers.  If you don’t have effective linkages – warm handoffs – you don’t have an effective system.
      • Alexis – go talk to your representatives to lower building costs and permitting.  Permitting is killing them.  People with money want to build, but it won’t pencil out. 
      • Theresa  - publicly owned housing works.  While land speculators and greed are damaging the system. 
      • James – stigma and scare tactics – we need to stop the awful anti-homeless speech. 
      • Coley – Police relations with homelessness are improving with the Tacoma Young Adult Shelter the Hot team are sent out more often. 
  • Jamala – writing is a form of therapy – write a piece for our blog.  We help folks get op-eds in newspapers.  We are happy to help.
  • John –make sure to sign up for the Legislative District Lead, and sign up or the Resident Action Project. 
  • If you  didn’t get to speak today – we’ll provide a survey for you.
  • Webinar on the 22nd at noon  for how to pass a successful local campaign for affordable housing options.
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