Press Center

As families across Washington State find homes out of reach, hundreds gather in Olympia for more affordable homes and an end to homelessness

Posted January 27, 2014 - 8:16pm
Widening inaccessibility to affordable homes and an increase in homeless young people across the state, means these issues have become a huge priority for communities across the state. Last year, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction found more than 27,000 homeless young students across Washington with the largest jumps in young people who are “doubled-up”, which means couch-surfing or staying at the home of relatives or neighbors. In addition, the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that for every 100 extremely low-income families in the state earning less than $23,400 a year for a family of three, only 47 affordable apartments are available. These two facts taken together means the legislature must act to help create affordable homes and fund successful programs that transition people off of the streets into safe, healthy, affordable homes. This is also why this year’s theme is “…It All Starts at Home…” Advocates are increasingly making the connections between having a home and positive education and even healthcare outcomes.

Event - Bringing Washington Home Advocacy Awards Dinner

Posted June 4, 2013 - 1:03am
Every year, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (Housing Alliance) celebrates and recognizes an individual, organization, and lawmaker who have gone above and beyond to advocate on affordable housing and homelessness issues. This year also marks the first time recognizing a nonprofit board for their dedication to legislative advocacy. The 2013 awardees for their annual advocacy awards dinner are: • Individual Advocate of the Year: Greg Winter • Advocacy Organization of the Year: Community Action of Skagit County • Legislator of the Year: State Senator Steve Hobbs (44th—Lake Stevens) • Leadership in Board Advocacy: Imagine Housing

Media Event - Fund Programs that Work: Our Hope for the Budget

Posted March 28, 2013 - 1:28pm
With the Washington Senate set to release their proposed budget any day now, legislators have warned the affordable housing and homelessness community to expect the worst. The state already has a number of innovative programs that are effectively keeping our most vulnerable residents off the streets and successfully helping those already on the streets into stable housing. But without the necessary funding, these productive programs could end, which would be disastrous for Washington’s most vulnerable. This is an opportunity for you to learn about the state’s safety net programs that work to create more affordable homes and to transition families, schoolchildren, veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities into housing. We’ll also discuss just how much money will be needed in the budget to ensure these programs can continue their positive outcomes.

High Rents and Low Wages Mean No Homes for Many Working Families in Washington State

Posted March 11, 2013 - 1:01pm
If you make minimum wage in Washington State, you’ll need to work 64 hours a week to afford a decent rental home. This is one of the many findings from the report, Out of Reach 2013, jointly released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (Housing Alliance) today, March 11. NLIHC is a national research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. and the Housing Alliance is a statewide housing advocacy nonprofit. The report provides housing affordability data for every state, metropolitan area, and county, including the unique Housing Wage statistic. The Housing Wage is the hourly wage a family must earn, working 40 hours a week, to afford the rent and utilities for a safe and modest home in the private housing market. (In the U.S., HUD considers someone as rent-burdened if they are paying more than 30% of their income on housing.)

Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day to Bring Both Online and Offline Advocacy

Posted February 8, 2013 - 4:15pm
On Monday, February 11, over 600 people, representing 43 legislative districts will converge upon Olympia for the 10th annual Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day. The event’s coordinator, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance has a full day of advocacy planned, including a significant online presence. For instance, not only does the day have its own Twitter hashtag, #HHAD2013, but each of our State Legislative Agenda items also has its own hashtag. This allows advocates unable to attend, a chance to follow the day’s events and follow the developments of each legislative priority.

Hundreds to Gather for the 10th Annual Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day Both Outside and Inside the Capitol

Posted January 30, 2013 - 2:17pm
On February 11, hundreds from across Washington will converge upon Olympia for the 10th Annual Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day. This year’s theme is “2-11: Hear the Call for Housing and an End to Homelessness.” Advocacy Day will help connect advocates to elected officials in order to make the call to increase access to affordable housing and services and programs that prevent and end homelessness. This year's theme was chosen in recognition that our date (2-11) is the same phone number (2-1-1) that struggling individuals and families call when trying to get connected to critical resources. We have a full day planned for our advocates, including teach-ins on our State Legislative Agenda, advocacy workshops, and even a rally on the north steps of the Capitol Building.

Press Release: Fair Tenant Screening Act Goes Into Effect Today

Posted June 7, 2012 - 1:59pm
Today marks the start of significant new protections for all of Washington’s renters. The enactment of the “Fair Tenant Screening Act” means that every tenant will now know what criteria a landlord will use to make their rental decision. And if that landlord decides to not rent to the tenant, or takes another “adverse action” like charging a higher deposit, then the tenant will have the right to know why. This is the first time tenants in Washington State will have access to this information and this marks a major breakthrough in the barriers tenants face in accessing housing.

Press Release: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn to Keynote 22nd Annual Conference on Ending Homelessness in Yakima

Posted May 15, 2012 - 4:46pm

CONTACT: Ben Miksch, (206) 240-8105, benm@wliha.org
For immediate release

STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION RANDY DORN TO KEYNOTE 22ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN YAKIMA

Press Release: Governor Signs Bipartisan Bill to Prevent 71,000 More People From Becoming Homeless

Posted March 29, 2012 - 10:15am

CONTACT: Ben Miksch, 206-442-9455 ext. 204, benm@wliha.org

GOVERNOR SIGNS BIPARTISAN BILL TO PREVENT 71,000 MORE PEOPLE FROM BECOMING HOMELESS 

Today, Governor Gregoire plans to sign EHB 2048, a bill that reaffirms the state's commitment to ending homelessness by protecting and expanding funding for services for the homeless, as well as increasing cooperation between state & local government, service providers and private landlords.

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