Blog Entries tagged 'Advocacy'

Can You Hear Me Now?

AnneMarie.Champoux@BuildingChanges.org — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0100

As I stood outside in the frigid Olympia morning, I glanced up at the gray sky. No rain yet, but later we might not be so lucky. I took a deep breath and exhaled, forcing myself to relax. I gathered what intellectual courage I could muster and fell in-step with more than 450 others who, like me, had gathered in our state capital and donned red garb to show our support for Housing & Homelessness Advocacy Day -- to be a voice for continued government funding for the homeless.

Truthfully [...]

Building Changes Applauds Inter-Governmental Coordination in Ending Homelessness

Donald.Chamberlain@BuildingChanges.org — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:00:00 +0100

June 18th is an historic day with two significant announcements that demonstrate the holistic approaches and foresighted leadership of the Obama administration and Washington's Congressional delegation:

New Leadership in Ending Homelessness - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis were elected today as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. The mission of the Counci [...]

2010 Housing Levy Renewal Up To Seattle Voters This November

Lisa.Govro@BuildingChanges.org — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:00:00 +0100

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 [...]

Seattle Taxpayers Want to Renew Seattle’s Housing Levy

Donald.Chamberlain@BuildingChanges.org — Wed, 13 May 2009 08:00:00 +0100

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 t [...]

Applause for Senators Murray and Cantwell

Donald.Chamberlain@BuildingChanges.org — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Building Changes applauds Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell for their vocal support of S. 896, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which the Senate unanimously passed yesterday. The approved legislation included two amendments that will greatly benefit low-income and homeless Washingtonians.

The first put forth by Senator Kerry (D-MA) will require 90 days' notice prior to eviction for rent [...]

First the Bad News, Then the Good: Renters’ Prospects in 2009

Donald.Chamberlain@BuildingChanges.org — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:00:00 +0100

There were 971 new foreclosures in King County last month (more foreclosures than home sales), 694 in Pierce County and 478 in Snohomish County. It's hard to guess how many of these were foreclosed rental properties; but the Mortgage Bankers Association found that in 2007, 20% of all foreclosure filings across the country were in non-owner occupied properties. Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, along with the Washington State Coalition for the Homeless, the Housing Development Consortium,

Local Economic Stimulus Through Affordable Housing

Donald.Chamberlain@BuildingChanges.org — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Some may wonder, what impact does affordable housing have on the economy? If so, read on... A new study by economist Bruce Blakey done with the help of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center indicates that Connecticut would create thousands of new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of ne [...]

Finding Jobs for the Homeless in a Declining Economic Context

Mark.Putnam@BuildingChanges.org — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:00:00 +0100

A few days ago, I co-hosted a national conference call with providers of employment services that work with people who are homeless. John Rio of Advocates for Human Potential co-hosted the meeting. We heard that these providers are struggling to find jobs for their clients in the current economic paradigm. In Seattle, the YWCA has cancelled job fairs because there weren't enough employers. In Bridgeport, CT, they are seeing the most activit [...]

Housing for People with HIV/AIDS as a Human Right

Mariah.Ybarra@BuildingChanges.org — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:00:00 +0100

As Manager of HIV/AIDS Housing Initiatives, I am proud to be a part of Building Changes' legacy work and ongoing commitment to addressing the housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition to participating in our local HIV/AIDS housing and services work, I was elected to the board of directors for the National AIDS Housing Coalition (NAHC) earlier this year; I am the fourth Building Changes staff to hold this distinctio [...]

SAVE THE DATE: Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day: February 24, 2009

Erin.Chambers@BuildingChanges.org — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0100

Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day (HHAD) in Washington State has two important objectives: 1) to bring new advocates into the fold, show legislators and the media that many people care about the issues of housing and homelessness, and generally make a visual impact with sheer numbers of people; and 2) to actually meet with legislators and talk to them in depth about the policy changes that will make a difference to low-income and homeless people. Local agency representatives from

WLIHA Gets Ready for Olympia: 2009 Legislative Agenda Approved at Annual Meeting

Erin.Chambers@BuildingChanges.org — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0100

Lynn and I attended the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (WLIHA) annual member meeting yesterday (November 18th), which was a great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the legislative agenda that Building Changes will be supporting throughout the upcoming 2009 session. It was also instructive to watch the Alliance in action and see how the group gets things done.

The annual member meeting is a chance for members o [...]

BC Launches Employment Program

Mark.Putnam@BuildingChanges.org — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0100

In 2006, Building Changes and the City of Seattle Office of Housing led a community planning process to assess the existing connections between the workforce development and homeless service systems. This process began a couple of years into our community's Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness, which included only limited strategies related to increasing economic opportunities for those experiencing homelessness. That process, and the opportunities fo [...]