On July 30, advocates packed the King County Council chambers to send a message to the Council; maximize the funding for affordable housing. The Housing Development Consortium and Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness organized supporters in response to news reports that the Council was planning to invest the minimum amount possible on affordable housing.
The plan centers around how to use funds collected from the King County Lodging Tax. Under the original proposal, $180 million of funding that could go towards housing is instead to be given away for stadium maintenance.
The Council is trying to get away with allocating only a fraction of the money to homes. We must do the most we can for affordable housing, not the least! That's why YWCA, in solidarity with dozens of other social organizations and individuals, has signed onto a public letter calling for the maximum funding for affordable housing.
Full funding for housing means more opportunities for families to stay near the schools they love, small businesses to thrive, and slowing the displacement of communities of color from our most vibrant neighborhoods.
So join YWCA and #TeamHousing by packing the chambers at the King County Council on Wednesday, August 29 for the public meeting on the Lodging Tax funding.
If you can't make it on Wednesday morning, you can still make your voice heard by demanding that your County elected officials spend public dollars for public benefit with Firesteel below. With just one click, you can send an email to – and even tweet at – your County Council Member and County Executive Dow Constantine, urging investment in homes and in King County's future!
Eric Bronson is the Digital Advocacy and Engagement Manager at YWCA. He manages the Firesteel blog in addition to its social media streams and action initiatives. A graduate of Oberlin College, Eric focuses on the intersection of race and gender within the American political economy.
We tell the stories of those with lived experiences of racism and sexism and invite supporters to take concrete actions to correct the root causes of disparity in our communities.
