As a member of the Building Changes team that recently completed planning work for the Seattle Housing Authority's Yesler Terrace project, I got an inside look at an exciting new community. For the Seattle Housing Authority, the redevelopment of Yesler Terrace -- the second oldest publicly subsidized community in the U.S. and the oldest in Seattle -- is about more than just replacing aging structures and creating stable housing. It's about creating a "Community of Opportunity" for the people who live there. What does that mean? It means making education and economic opportunities more accessible to residents and supporting them to reach their personal goals. It also means providing residents with community leadership opportunities. And it means residents will have access to the support
By the time
Inglourious Basterds and
Harry Potter had slipped into our discussion, the One Night Count felt more like a fraternizing affair than a civic one. So far, our flashlit trek through Woodland Park had shed more light on the film tastes of my fellow employees than on any hidden homeless population in the woods-and although I was happy to gab Golden Globes, the topic of conversation was clear evidence that we could afford to be distracted. If the homeless were out, they didn't seem very about. And because of it, our search had adopted an air of hollow formality, despite my previous hopes to make this one night count for something.
The search was racking up a number of other forfeited illusions, too, although one or two of them were admittedly pretty silly to begin with:
You mean we
Talk to your friends, family, or even people who provide services to people experiencing homelessness, and when the topic of employment comes up, many will say to you "those people can't work. They don't have the skills, they don't have the education, they don't have the desire." Sound familiar?
Well, I believe that those assertions are flat out untrue. Programs in our state, like the Seattle Conservation Corps, Washington Women's Employment and Education, and Pioneer Human Services, have demonstrated the importance of job training and placement services for populations with barriers to work for more than a decade. More and more agencies are joining their ranks. In the past couple of years, great progress has been made in Washington State to develop new pathways to economic opportunities
Seattle has a long history of creating and sustaining innovative affordable housing solutions for those who need it most. What began as a small housing bond in 1981 for low-income seniors and disabled citizens has evolved into a levy supporting affordable housing development and restoration, down payment assistance to first time homebuyers and emergency rental assistance for families on the verge of homelessness. On Monday, the Seattle City Council voted unanimously to renew the housing levy in 2010, which will be on the ballot this November. If Seattle voters approve the measure, taxpayers will invest $145 million back into our community over the next seven years.
The housing bond and three subsequent levies passed because they produce outstanding results. The current levy, spanning from
On Tuesday, May 12th, I was one of a number of community members who participated in a public hearing on the
Housing Levy before the Seattle City Council. The Council is in the process of finalizing the details -- particularly the dollar amount -- that will go into a citizen ballot in November 2009. Seattle voters have approved comparable levies continuously since 1981. The levy adds permanent affordable housing to the city's housing stock. It is the best long-term solution to homelessness and meeting the affordable housing needs of our city. The current proposal being considered by City Council is for an 8-year, $145 million levy which would target half for housing our lowest income residents. Yesterday's hearing drew more than 40 testimonies in favor of the levy -- below is my own.
