Preserve affordable housing fund
Gail Smith was frustrated that she could only afford to live in substandard housing. Gail desperately wanted to be a better provider and mom to her two children. Every week she called Spokane Catholic Charities’ Summit View Apartments to see if they had a place for her.
Last July, Gail was able to move into Summit View, and her life has changed. She treasures the support and friendships she has found in her new community, and values the security Summit View provides for her family. Gail takes so much pride in her new home, she even volunteered at Summit View for several months when extra help was needed.
This story, and many others like it all over Spokane County and Washington state, was made possible by the Washington state Housing Trust Fund. Since 1989, this resource has funded 38,000 units of new or rehabilitated affordable housing statewide, including more than 2,000 in Spokane County. From working families to people with disabilities to formerly homeless women and men, the fund has helped our residents access opportunity and create better lives for themselves and their children, in places like Summit View, across the state.
Our state has made significant progress by providing health care for all children, increasing access to higher education, and ensuring that everyone in Washington has a place to call home. These investments improve quality of life for everyone and make Washington the kind of state we all want to live in. The drastic cuts to the Housing Trust Fund proposed by legislators – a 45 percent cut in the House budget, a 64 percent cut in the Senate budget – undermine the progress we have made and would make it even harder for families to survive during this tough economic time.
It should be possible for working people to afford housing and still have enough money for basics such as groceries, gas and child care. In this recession, more than ever, our leaders must consider all solutions available to them to maintain commitments to our communities and lay the foundation for economic recovery. Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown is exploring new revenue streams. Her leadership and vision are exactly what our state needs during this very challenging time.
We have the power to choose what kind of state we want Washington to be. By funding affordable housing through the Housing Trust Fund, we are meeting the increasing needs of individuals and families affected by the recession; we are preserving and expanding our housing capacity; and we are creating good jobs and local revenue that stimulates the economy.
Everyone should have the opportunity to live in a safe, decent, affordable home. Join us now in contacting our legislative leaders, www.wa.gov/government/state_legislature. Ask them to make Washington a place where opportunity exists for us all.