Reduce Tax Burden On The Working Poor

Expanding the Working Families Tax Credit to provide direct cash assistance to Washingtonians through a Recovery Rebate.

Protecting and expanding funding for Housing & Essential Needs and other proven investments that prevent people from losing access to basic needs like housing, food, and healthcare.

Increasing Stability And Creating Community Pathways Out Of Poverty

Invest $240 million for the Housing Trust Fund and an additional $10 million for the preservation of affordable housing.

Generate shelter support by increasing the state’s document recording fee for the homeless housing surcharge.

Reduce the burden on nonprofits responding to the crisis by providing REET (Real Estate Excise Tax) exemption for acquiring property for affordable housing.

Increase funding for foreclosure counselors and extend the Foreclosure Fairness Act to small landlords.

Households Experience Less Food Insecurity

Expand funding for Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP), which is our state’s core support for local food banks who have had record increases (30% - 300%) in demand for services.

Extend funding for DOH’s SNAP Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Program (HB 1587 ), which matches funds by SNAP shoppers to purchase produce.

Create Food Bank Local Purchasing Pilots and Grants to Target Gaps through WSDA to provide flexible, responsive funds for food banks and other food providers to respond to emerging opportunities and targeted community needs, especially in communities of color, tribal communities, and rural areas.

Households Have Increased Education, Training Necessary To Reach Their Full Potential

Invest in the quality pre-K that fights poverty with a two-generation approach by restoring the 6% ECEAP vendor rate increase, the complex needs fund, and make progress on ECEAP as an entitlement for families under 185% of Federal Poverty level.

Increase ECEAP funding to a level that will attract and retain early learning professionals in the field and build the capacity of ECEAP providers.

Households Have Increased Access To Healthcare That Meets Their Needs

Preserve the Adult Dental benefits and expand Dental Therapy.

Continue support for Foundational Community Supports under the Medicaid Waiver.

Weatherization Plus Health (Wx+H)

Invest in healthy housing, climate justice, and job creation. Weatherization addresses three critical elements of housing security: quality, safety, and affordability. Your investment helps preserve rural housing, helps low-income homeowners age in place with lower energy costs, and fights housing-related health disparities. We support $55 million for low-income weatherization as outlined in the Governor's Proposed Budget.

Improvements to the Home Repair Loan Program (HRLP)

The Home Repair Loan Program (HRLP) is meant to decrease deferrals of Weatherization projects due to repair needs that are not covered by the program. HRLP helps rural homeowners improve the livability of the home and become eligible for Wx+H. HRLP provides a no-cost loan only payable upon sale or transfer of the property to cover needed repairs. However, the cap on administrative costs in addition to the unavailability of start-up funds has limited agencies' abilities to ramp up this new program. We support the $20 million allocation outlined in Governor Inslee’s proposed budget as well as legislative changes to align eligibility and program requirements with Low-Income Weatherization as the program was intended.

Diverse, Equitable, Inclusive Healthy Communities

Support Governor Inslee's Equity Package.

Amplify BIPOC-led efforts to address bias in policing and build equitable public safety.

Move swiftly to implement the 10-Year Plan to Reduce Poverty & Inequality in Washington State.

Take bold action to carry out proposals put forth in Governor Inslee's Climate Package.

Adopt recommendations put forth by the Environmental Justice Task Force.

Keep people housed bypassing statewide protections against discriminatory and arbitrary evictions and ban discrimination against renters based on a prior criminal record through the Housing Justice Act.Adopt recommendations put forth by the Environmental Justice Task Force.

Recommit to the Clean Slate Act, which clears criminal records after one’s debt to society has been paid.

Households Have Expanded Social Networks And Connections

Close the digital divide by supporting recommendations put forth by Connect Washington, which helps put educational and economic opportunities within reach for rural and under-connected communities.

Increase opportunity for Digital Literacy that cultivates skills and job opportunities now and into the future. Support implementation of the Digital Navigator pilot program and funding for the Digital Equity Local response project that will impact community recovery and revitalization.

Revitalize community capacity with new digital technology and literacy skills that will build sustainable economic development opportunities for workers and businesses alike. Build community capacity to expand broadband by supporting efforts like HB 2414 - Concerning Digital Equity, which establishes and sets forth requirements for the Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program and Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program.

Households Have Increased Education, Training Necessary To Reach Their Full Potential

Invest in the quality pre-K that fights poverty with a two-generation approach by restoring the 6% ECEAP vendor rate increase, the complex needs fund, and make progress on ECEAP as an entitlement for families under 185% of Federal Poverty level.

Increase ECEAP fundingto a level that will attract and retain early learning professionals in the field and build the capacity of ECEAP providers.

Households Have Increased Access To Healthcare That Meets Their Needs

Preserve the Adult Dental benefits and expand Dental Therapy.

Continue support for Foundational Community Supports under the Medicaid Waiver.

Destigmatizing Poverty

February 9th, 10:30am - 12 noon

In this training, Talcott Broadhead will discuss the ways in which policy, media and myth have come together to stigmatize poverty and poor people. Common beliefs that equate a person’s value to that of their financial worth will be investigated and challenged.

Trauma Informed Supervision

February 16th, 23rd & March 2nd, 9th, 9:00am - 11:00am

Providing direct services to vulnerable people is exhausting and rewarding work. In this training, we’ll explore ways that supervisors can contribute to creating healthy workplaces while supporting their co-workers. They’ll be discussed in the context of our diverse organizations; many of which are collaborative, social justice based, and also hierarchical. We’ll focus on both theories of practice as well as tools such as providing direct feedback, evaluations, and addressing work performance issues.

Advancing Equity Through Courageous Conversations

March 19th 2021, 9:00am - 12 noon

In a context of diverse identities, cultures and experiences, how can leaders foster a culture of equity and inclusion? Rather than looking for technical fixes, leaders must embrace the adaptive relational challenges that emerge from diverse contexts. This session will help leaders create positive change by providing a framework for change and a tool for facilitating courageous conversations. (For executive leadership and board members.)