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, I had my doubts as to the true effectiveness of something like advocacy. I know that in theory our legislative representatives care what "we the people" have to say on each and every issue, but let's be honest -- do they really care? Don't they already have their minds made up on any given issue? Can my one opinion actually matter?

Anne Marie Champoux (center) with co-workers, Seth Howard and Margaret Foster, at Housing & Homelessness Advocacy Day on February 12th

Marching toward the Capitol steps in a sea of red, I turned to my co-worker Seth and said, "So be honest with me, is what we're about to do here -- taking meetings with representative's aides, leaving notes for legislators, pulling legislators from the floor to plug our cause -- does all of that really make a difference?" Seth, a former state legislative staffer, looked at me slightly shocked and taken aback. "Yes," he said matter-of-factly, "absolutely it does!" Surprised by his answer, I entered the Capitol Building with a cautious seed of optimism.

By the day's end I knew for myself Seth had been right. In the first place, I learned that politicians are accessible. All it took was the initiative to set up a meeting. Secondly, I had been expecting cold and disconnected customer service. Instead I found genuine interest and concern in the faces of legislators all around me. I observed representative's aides enthusiastically stepping in when the representative was unavailable and engaging in a thoughtful discourse regarding what we had to say about funding for homeless programs. Each one of us really did matter. Each one of us had something important to contribute to the greater conversation.

As a result, I left Olympia feeling as though I wasn't just another face in the crowd, another ant in the ant hill. In the end, as I dashed toward our car, I was soaked to the bone from the rain, but my optimism was in full bloom.

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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 Council is to coordinate the federal response to homelessness and to create a national partnership with every level of government and the private sector to address homelessness in the nation.

"It is simply unacceptable for individuals, children, families, and our nation's veterans to be faced with homelessness in this country," said

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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

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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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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 renters living in properties that have been foreclosed upon. As I noted in my blog of March 23rd, renters are inadvertently punished by foreclosures as they are frequently forced into eviction upon notification of the mortgagers default even though they dutifully have paid their rent on time and otherwise lived up to the terms of their lease. A similar bill passed the Washington State

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