In October 2021, a Meaningful Movies event at First Church drew attention to some of the root causes of homelessness. A recorded lecture at that event by University of Washington’s Dr. Gregg Colburn highlighted the need for solutions that prioritize housing policy and affordability. (You can view Dr Colburn’s lecture here (begins at 28:00)
Our January 30, 2022 Lunch & Learn event enabled us to explore a range of solutions to Seattle’s homelessness crisis in greater depth with a number of experts, including Alison Eisinger and Jody Rauch (Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness), Dr Simha Reddy (VA and the King County Regional Homelessness Authority), David Delgado (REACH), and Patricia Dehart (lived experience ambassador).
While many solutions and approaches have been tried in Seattle, speakers emphasized that investment in both immediate and long term solutions are needed. One of the key long-term solution to ending homelessness is a Housing First approach, which “prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, thus … serving as a platform from which they can pursue personal goals and improve their quality of life” (National Alliance to End Homelessness). Once housed, those who have previously experienced homelessness have a stable base to address other issues, including substance abuse and mental health challenges. In Seattle, the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) was the first to try this model in the 1990s. Housing First has since been widely recognized as an effective approach, with research showing that it enables those experiencing homelessness to access housing faster and that they are more likely to remain stably housed (Gulcur et al 2003 and Tsemberis et al 2000, cited in Housing First Fact Sheet, National Alliance to End Homelessness).
As Patricia Dehart noted, we need to “move from aspiration to action,” a comment echoed by Alison Eisinger of the Coalition: “We have to be the lobbyists for homelessness and housing justice.” Our speakers highlighted many ways to get involved in advocacy efforts to advance effective solutions to homelessness. The Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness and many local and state organizations provide a number of ways to engage.
Interested in getting involved?
- Advice from Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness shared at the session:
- Know who represents you in Olympia: Look up your state legislative district and your lawmakers at https://leg.wa.gov/
- Take 5 minutes each week to take actions at www.homelessinfo.org
- Register for action alerts so you receive notifications when key legislation is being considered and ways to advocate with your legislators: https://homelessinfo.salsalabs.org/email-signup/index.html
- Ask your lawmakers to support HB 2075 to ensure everyone who needs to can access DSHS: https://bit.ly/TakeActionDSHSAccess
- Register for one of Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness “Speak up Pop Up” sessions, 1-hour drop-in workshops on Tuesday evenings held during the Washington state legislative session: “These Pop-Ups will help people with all levels of experience get the information they need to get involved with state legislative advocacy, and serve as a virtual gathering space for people who want to get the baseline information about the 2021 state legislative session to be an effective advocate” https://homelessinfo.salsalabs.org/2021speakuppopups/index.html
Additional ways to engage:
- Sign up for Action Alerts from other groups tracking key bills: Poverty Action Network, WA Low Income Housing Alliance, Children’s Alliance
- Review the 2022 lead policy priorities and the bills attached to them, and find various ways to get involved via the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance website.
- Read Solid Ground’s blog article on the importance of building affordable housing as a solution to homelessness, which includes a range of advocacy opportunities for solutions to help achieve this goal.
Notes:
Gulcur, L., Stefancic, A., Shinn, M., Tsemberis, S., & Fishcer, S. Housing, Hospitalization, and Cost Outcomes for Homeless Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities Participating in Continuum of Care and Housing First programs. 2003.
Tsemberis, S. & Eisenberg, R. Pathways to Housing: Supported Housing for Street-Dwelling Homeless Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities. 2000.