Taking a cue from Seattle housing advocates, Citizens for Bellingham Home Fund have a low-income housing levy on this year’s general election ballot. And they’re also taking advantage of WLIHA’s voter registration campaign. Janet Marino, Executive director of Whatcom Peace and Justice Center in Bellingham and a core member of the levy campaign team, was trained by WLIHA staff to train local advocates in voter registration. Janet and her team are setting up local nodes of registration activity where people are seeking social and health services. Today, they are helping homeless guests and community volunteers register to vote at the annual Project Homeless Connect Event. It’s not just low-income clients that need help learning how to become an active voter; staff and volunteers at nonprofit agencies frequently are not registered to vote. People in Bellingham who believe that families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities should have affordable housing opportunities have one more reason to finally get registered and be heard. To learn more about the Bellingham Home Fund and its campaign, visit www.bellinghamhomefund.org

A donation (see the “Contribute” button on the web site) will help mightily during this critical early stage of the campaign. A successful housing levy in Bellingham makes it far more likely that housing advocates in other small jurisdictions will be motivated to create more affordable housing across Washington State.

As a matter of fact, why don’t you consider joining us in Seattle on August 1st to help this effort at a fundraiser hosted by the folks below.

Fundraiser for the Bellingham Home Fund

Start a New Housing Levy Tradition
Please come and support voter-powered affordable housing!

August 1, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Reception at Kantor Taylor’s new offices: 901 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4000, Seattle 98165
Wine and refreshments provided

Please RSVP to: brumpf@mercyhousing.org

Housing advocates in Bellingham have developed a great affordable housing levy proposal.  It would provide $21 million over 7 years, and would make a substantial dent in meeting the housing and homeless needs in that community.   The Bellingham City Council unanimously approved putting it on the ballot in November.  Now they need $50,000 to mount a successful campaign.  This event is being held in Seattle to generate financial support from organizations whose work includes Bellingham, as well as from affordable housing allies .   Come hear about this exciting new housing levy effort.  

Co-Hosts:   
John Harmon, Bellingham Whatcom County Housing Authority
Greg Winter, Whatcom Homeless Service Center
Steve Powers and Rob Van Tassell, Catholic Housing Services
Adrienne Quinn, Medina Foundation
Alice Shobe, Building Changes