Advocacy and other opportunities to support immigrants and unhoused people in our area: Shared by our Church & Society/Social Justice Committee Faith Action Network (FAN) has alerted us about four opportunities to support unhoused individuals and immigrants. Please take steps to advocate for the disenfranchised among us.
1. Vote for renewal of the Seattle Housing Levy which will appear on your Nov. 7 ballot – and encourage others to vote for it. FAN – and our Church Council – have endorsed the renewal of this levy that will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot. (Although faith communities cannot endorse candidates, we can legally support initiatives and bills.) The levy would raise $970 million over the next seven years. Our taxes would produce and preserve 3,500 affordable homes, provide rental assistance to 4,500 households at risk of eviction, and fund operations for permanent supportive housing for 1,150 formerly homeless people. Learn more about it here (https://yesforhomes.org/). To help pass the levy, you can participate in voter outreach (phone and text banks) through the Coalition on Homelessness. Email Hali to get involved.
2. Join local advocacy efforts led by Seattle-King County Coalition on Homelessness. See Google site to learn how to ask Seattle and King County elected officials to prioritize housing, essential services, and the workers who provide them, and sustain and expand investments in evidence-based practices and policy solutions to homelessness.
3. Help needed for immigrants camping at a United Methodist Church in Tukwila Riverton Park United Methodist has hosted more than 180 people – mostly immigrants and asylum seekers – camping at the church. To continue this support, the church has these urgent needs: – A donation coordinator, case managers, immigration helpers, and chaos preventers. – Supplies such as tents, blankets, tarps, and warm clothes. If you have supplies to share, contact Elizabeth at dickinson@fanwa.org. If you can volunteer, contact Pastor Jan by text at 206-612-8648.
4. If you live in Burien, write a letter to the Seattle Times editor in response to Ordinance 818. This ordinance, passed recently by Burien’s City Council, allows criminal penalties for people who sleep (or have tents or other items related to “camping”) in public places from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. If you are a Burien resident, you could write a letter to the Seattle Times to voice your views about the ordinance.