Friday, March 4, 2016
Senate Approves Rep. Fey Legislation to Help Homeless Students
OLYMPIA – Legislation sponsored by Representative Jake Fey (D-Tacoma) to help combat student homelessness by providing additional resources to schools and communities was approved by the Senate with strong bipartisan support.
“This is a great victory for the 35,000 students in Washington state who do not have a safe or reliable place to sleep at night,” said Fey.
The bill, HB 1682, will create a competitive grant program available to school districts to connect homeless students to stable housing and improve access to educational resources. The legislation was inspired by similar local efforts at McCarver Elementary in Tacoma.
“We have a homelessness crises in our state, and we need to do more. With the passage of this bill, we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many homeless students,” said Fey.