Policy Matters

Policy Matters: A Story of Domestic Violence and Housing

When Nikkisha bravely stood up to her abusive boyfriend and got a protection order against him, she faced a repercussion she never expected: She was denied housing because of her history as a domestic violence survivor. With two children and a third on the way, Nikkisha became homeless, bouncing from shelter to shelter and washing up at a restaurant.

When tenant screening reports include domestic violence records, stories like Nikkisha's are all too common. This family's experience is a powerful example of the need to break down housing barriers and keep domestic violence records off of tenant reports. Fortunately, state lawmakers are close to enacting legislation that will help protect domestic violence survivors like Nikkisha from discrimination when they apply for housing. The Fair Tenant Screening Act has received bipartisan support, and is on its way to becoming law.

Read more about Nikkisha, and learn how you can help ensure other domestic violence survivors don't face the same housing barriers that she did.

 

Policy Matters: “They Could Go Outside and Just Be Kids”

YWCA Family Village at Issaquah residents Sharon and her granddaughter Charon love their new home, which was built with the help of Housing Trust Fund dollars. Before they found this permanent, stable housing community, they were crowded in a studio apartment in a neighborhood that felt unsafe.
YWCA Family Village at Issaquah residents Sharon and her granddaughter Charon love their new home, which was built with the help of Housing Trust Fund dollars. Before they found this permanent, stable housing community, they were crowded in a studio apartment in a neighborhood that felt unsafe.

YWCA Family Village at Issaquah residents Sharon and her granddaughter Charon love their new home, which was built with the help of Housing Trust Fund dollars. Before they found this permanent, stable housing community, they were crowded in a studio apartment in a neighborhood that felt unsafe.

With about four weeks left in this legislative session, the Firesteel team continues to advocate for the Fair Tenant Screening Act, as well as investment in the Housing Trust Fund and Housing and Essential Needs program. We’ve laid out the reasons we believe in these policies, and many of you have added your voices using video comments. Now, with our new “Policy Matters” blog series, we want to share some personal stories from community members who are affected by these policies. The first story is about a family whose lives were changed when they moved into YWCA Family Village at Issaquah, a community built with Housing Trust Fund dollars.

2013 Preview & the First Day of Session

The 2013 Washington State legislative session begins today. Which means we are mobilizing to advocate! The quote above reminds us that we can all be advocates. It's time to introduce you to our 2013 Firesteel policy priorities and then we'll take you through some new ways we plan to speak up. 

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