SeattleKing County Coalition on Homelessness

We tracked and engaged our members in advocacy related to state legislation to reopen the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Community Service of Offices that were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In parallel with Seattle and King County budget cycles, Coalition staff and volunteers helped develop recommendations for City and County Councilmembers to consider in planning and adopting biennial or supplemental budgets. Our fous is to highlight the unmet needs and gaps in systems and services in the community, and to advance and secure funding for quality services and affordable housing of the nature and scope that will meet the needs of local residents who are homeless. We engage people with direct experience of homelessness, service providers, and others to participate in the budget process by writing or calling their elected representatives, and others to participate in the budget process by writing or calling their elected representatives, attending and speaking at public hearings and committee meetings, and sharing their insight and knowledge. We prepare informational materials and provide sample messages and postcards to ensure that people who are unable to attend in person can participate in this important aspect of civic life. Coalition staff, members, and Board members encourage others to participate in public events; speak with elected officials and with the media; and share information about how various efforts would benefit, assist, shelter, and house people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, and general population. Coalition staff participate regularly in meetings as part of the Seattle Human Services Coalition and the King County Alliance for Human Services, the Eastside Homelessness Advisory Council the North Urban Human Services Alliance, and the South King County Forum on Homelessness. During 2022 Coalition staff engaged in public education, advocacy, and lobbying to increase the amount of funding for homes that are affordable to people whose incomes are at or below 30% of area Median Income (AMI), and for effective and needed services and programs to assist people who are hsomeless or to prevent homelessness. At the local level, in Seattle, our work focused on community education and engagement, grassroots and direct lobbying related to developing deeply afforedable housing and supportive services, adequate shelter, and effective responses to the health, housing, and safety needs of people without housing or shelter.

In every school district in King County, students try to learn while living through the upheaval and uncertaintly of homelessness. More than 5,000-10,000 students experienced homelessness in local schools at some point during the 2021-2022 school year. The Coalition supports students who are homeless and their families through educational resources, training, advocacy, and direct service to students in the form of a community-driven practical support drive known as Project Cool for Back-to-School. Our annual Helping Homeless Students: McKinney-Vento 101 workshop for staff who work directly with students who are homeless, and their families took place on September 22, 2022. Over 100 participants included social service providers, legal assistance providers, educators, and staff romlocal public schools. Though Project Cool we support volunteers, community groups, and staff at our member organizations to collect supplies and fill and distribute new backpacks. In summer 2022 backpacks were distrbuted to 1,475 shool-aged children and youth who were homeless in King County in time for the beginning of the 2022 school year. Backpacks contained new, age-appropriate school supplies, hygiene items, age-appropriate books, and resources. These are distributed free to children and youth through staff at Coalition member organizations at the beginning of the new year.

2022 General Membership Meeting Topics included: COVID-19 safety practices, youth Miranda rights, peer information; Kin County jobs and housing programs; voting rights; workforce development; emergency housing vouchers; Seattle Parks funding; homeless provider stipends; Housing and Essential Needs; King County Regional Homelessness Authority 5-year plan;and legislative review. We provide unique opportunities for education, skill development and trainings for direct service providers. Our staff organizes and hosts free case manager workshops on topics related to providing housing, shelter, health, and social services. These informative sessions and dialogue at membership meetins are intended to help staff learn about and discuss promising and best practices; ask hard questions; have honest conversations about implementation challenges; and address commong community issues and problems. We co-host learning opportunities and trainings with several partners. In 2022, Solid Ground, Evergreen Treatment Services-REACH. TeamChild, Public Health-Seattle/King County, and Kelly Ross Pharmacy.

We organize voter registration, voting rights, education campaigns, and get-out-the-vote efforts, before each primary and general election. This work is non-partisan and focuses on ensuring that every eligible voter has the chance to register and vote, and that all members of our community understand how to participate in public dialogues on issues that matter to them. The Coalitions work in this area centers on ensuring that people who are homeless or unstably housed, those with previous criminal convictions, and people who are otherwise marginalized, understand their rights under the state and federal laws. In2022, Coalition staff trained volunteers, helped more than 231 people who were homeless, formerly homeless, or unstably housed learn about the voting process, register to vote or update their addresses with local election officials. Additionally, Coalition staff educated 70 staff from 17 different agencies across King County about voting rights for people experiencing homelessness. Our social media campaign consisted of Facebook posts about Election Days, how and where to register, promoting voter registration tabling events, and sharing accurate information about voting rights. Throughout the year the Coalition on Homelessness created 19 Facebook posts related to voting reaching 2482 people and engaging with 179.