“America is such a wealthy country—no one back in the old country would believe that there is homelessness here.”
Those were my father’s first words when he surveyed the beautiful and sometimes haunting photographs of the National Center on Family Homelessness’ “Looking into Light” exhibit, which the Seattle University Project on Family Homelessness is hosting at City Hall.
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| Photo by Dan Lamont, 2010 |
Seattle is the third stop in the exhibit’s national tour. Among the black-and-white prints from all over the country are images taken by local photojournalist Dan Lamont, who followed several Washington State families as a Seattle University Family Homelessness Journalism Fellow.
My father’s comment jolted me outside of my usual worldview. It is a
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
In a budget cutting session--like what we're all sweating in Olympia right now--good news can be hard to come by. But good news is what came out of the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee yesterday with the passing of HB 1811 on a voice vote. And we're celebrating! HB 1811 has already passed the Washington State House of Representatives unanimously, and once it passes the Senate Rules Committee, we'll be in business.
What's the business? Getting vulnerable and homeless families and individuals assistance as fast as possible in order to prevent them from becoming homeless or immediately re-house them if they already are. HB 1811 allows housing or homeless services providers working on behalf of vulnerable and homeless families and individuals to assist clients more immediately
New national data shows more children and their families are experiencing homelessness in our country and state. Our state's dilemma is that we have proven programs that end homelessness, but their continued longevity is threatened by ongoing State deficits. Programs like the Washington Families Fund, Home Security Fund, and Housing Trust Fund are good for families and good for our economy.
Building Changes will soon release new data on an emerging subset of "high needs" families served by the Washington Families Fund. These chronically homeless families are a small subset of the total homeless population but the most complicated. The good news is that the data shows we're making progress in stabilizing families who have been homeless an average of ten times:
The stakes are high with a big event - and with 470 guests at Benaroya Hall on September 23rd for Building Changes' Honoring Our Partners luncheon, it was definitely a big event, as well as our signature fundraiser. All the preparation - the energy and passion of our Board members, assembling the perfect program, phone calls to support Table Hosts and sponsors, training with speakers and staff - it all boils down to one question: will it pay off? Will our guests feel inspired to join the work?
As the new staff on the block - I joined the Building Changes team in late May as the Director of Development - it's hard to know when your preparation is complete. Luckily, I had a crack team of volunteers and co-workers who I quickly learned are passionate about ending homelessness, whip-smart,
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