Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County is not only hard at work at our build sites, but also online and (virtually) in Olympia as well! This year’s legislative session has gone 100% virtual which has allowed us to have our voice heard on so much more than ever before. We’ve been promoting the Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County Legislative Agenda (PDF), pushing legislators to support policies that are affordable housing friendly. But we won’t be able to accomplish our goals without your help. Click on the links below to send a letter to your legislators telling them to support our priorities!
We’ve been one of the leading voices in support of the creation of a legislative workgroup to come up with concrete solutions and take action to address equity in homeownership and shrink the racial homeownership gap. As Washington State continues to wrestle with systemic discrimination against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), it is vitally important that we work to address the gap in homeownership for BIPOC communities. Make your voice heard on this vitally important issue!
We are also strongly supporting the push for a historically high allocation of funds for Washington State’s Housing Trust Fund. It is a critical tool for the construction of affordable housing across the state. The reality is that if we are serious about addressing the affordable housing challenge, Washington State needs to invest in affordable housing in all of its forms – including home ownership. That’s why we are asking legislators to set aside $30 million to fund homeownership opportunities. Tell your legislator to invest in Washington’s future and support affordable homeownership across the state by setting aside this funding for homeownership by clicking here.
The third legislative priority this year is focused on the Multi-Family Tax Exemption (MFTE) which is an important tool in the development of new affordable housing. We have been working with legislators and stakeholders to make sure that this tool gets extended and expanded to include more areas and new forms of multi-family construction. Stand with us by sending a message to your legislators here.
Our last priority calls on legislators to support home repair efforts statewide. Repair programs offered by a variety of organizations including Habitat help keep people in their homes and extend the life of homes by providing critical home repairs, weatherization, and disabled modifications. We encourage Washington State to continue to support these programs. Let your legislator know that you support Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County by joining the campaign here.
Habitat also supports a wide range of bills that touch on the entire housing spectrum. We are making our voices heard, but we can’t do it alone. We need your help and we need your voice. Join our campaign to make housing more affordable across Washington state by clicking on any of the links and joining our action alerts team!