The Advance has recently highlighted many of Washington’s more remarkable successes. And while we should all celebrate those achievements, there are always opportunities for improvement.
According to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation “More than 20,000 people are homeless on any given night in our state; families comprise almost half of this number. About one child in four has a family that struggles to pay for basic needs such as rent, food, and utilities.”
In Washington, almost half of the short-term housing for people facing homelessness–$42 million per year–depends on document recording fees. Short-term assistance includes emergency shelter, rent assistance, and transitional housing.
Sadly, the fee that supports homelessness reduction will decline by 62.5 percent without a legislative fix.
HB 2368 is a measure aimed at insuring no such cut occurs. The bill passed the House with a healthy bi-partisan majority, but in the Senate, the committee charged with hearing the bill, didn’t even bring the measure to a vote… letting the fate of the program’s funding dangle in political purgatory.
For many people this measure is literally the difference between a place to stay for thousands of men, women, and children.
If you are struggling with homelessness in your life, click here or here and find out about services that could help you and your loved ones access the assistance you need.