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.

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My name is Donald Chamberlain. I own a small and lovely home in the Judkins Park neighborhood. It's a 1904 house on a double lot, which I purchased 17 years ago for the now unbelievable price of $110,000. As a young professional in a nonprofit organization, I had nearly given up on homeownership. Instead I can look back on 17 years of joy resulting from a great location, affordable monthly payments and stable housing. And as I approach 60, I look forward to continued housing security and ready access to arts, entertainment and the medical and social supports that living in Central Seattle offers.

My neighborhood has greatly improved over the past 17 years, and much of that improvement has stemmed from the previous housing levies:

• Homesight has offered dozens of affordable first-time homebuyer opportunities
• Housing Resources Group, along with my employer Building Changes, developed Judkins Park Apartments-right across the park from me-for low-income and disabled families, including people living with HIV/AIDS
• Cross 23^rd Avenue and you'll find the beautifully redeveloped Colman School with more rental housing created by the Urban League
• And down the hill, by Rainier Avenue, sit the Hiawatha Artists Lofts, built by ArtSpace, with 80 new condos by Homesight under in construction next door

None of those projects, representing more than 200 units of housing for low-income Seattleites could have been developed without the seed funding provided by the housing levy.

Building Changes (formerly AIDS Housing of Washington) has created more than 160 units of permanent supportive housing in Seattle and King County. Several of our projects have received national recognition. All of them required levy funds to get built.

Our most recent development, Kenyon Housing, resulted from a collaboration with Housing Resources Group and Sound Mental Health. It provides 18 apartments, with on- and off-site services, for individuals living with HIV/AIDS who have been homeless and struggle with mental health and chemical addiction issues, typically with past criminal involvement as well. No levy funds - no housing for them: an inhuman proposition!

I don't approve every ballot issue, every levy or every bond measure. Yet I pay my taxes cheerfully, and I am proud of Seattle for supporting people and parks and light rail and housing! I sit on the board of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, so I routinely come in contact with peers from across the country. I assure you that Seattle is looked to as a beacon of wisdom for investing in the prevention of homelessness through creating and sustaining affordable housing. Home is the foundation! Children need a home in order to succeed in school, and parents need affordable rents so that they can pay for groceries, gas, insurance and childcare, too!

Skipping 2 lattes ($6.60) a month for seven years is worth it, when you consider all the seniors and children, low-income families and disabled individuals who will have a place to call home. And every levy dollar invested in housing will be matched by at least $3 more from other sources.

Please support the levy at $145 million...or more! We need that much just to maintain our current level of investing-investing in our children, our community and our prosperity.

Seattle taxpayers want this levy. Don't let us down! Maintain the focus on helping those with the fewest resources in our community. It just plain makes sense.