Campion Advocacy Fund

To begin to address the generational effects of housing discrimination, Washington state has launched the Covenant Homeownership Program. According to recent data, “just 32% of Black Washingtonians and 48% of Hispanic residents owned their homes in 2022, the latest data available, compared with 68% of white people in the state,” We are proud of the WA state leadership that passed House Bill 1474 last year and approved funds for this program. It is a major step forward in righting historical wrongs in our state. This new program, according to the Seattle Times, is open to state residents “who can show either that they lived in the state before April 1968, when the Fair Housing Act outlawed housing discrimination, or that they are the descendant of a parent or grandparent who lived in the state at that time.” It’s time to get rid of the racial gap in homeownership. The Covenant Homeownership Program will make a difference for future generations. #affordablehousing #safecommunities #discrimination #redlining https://lnkd.in/gMYGvP8P

People in Seattle want to solve homelessness, but jailing people experiencing homelessness solves nothing. Anita Khandelwal, director of the King County Department of Public Defense, takes issue with City Attorney Ann Davison’s support of the recent Johnson v. Grants Pass decision. “Despite all empirical evidence to the contrary, Davison appears to believe that adding additional, brief, repetitive jail stays to the incredible suffering experienced by the unhoused will somehow make this population magically disappear,” she writes in an opinion piece for today’s Seattle Times. We will keep saying it: Housing is the solution to homelessness, not jail time, tickets, and fines. We must invest in housing first, then follow with individualized, wraparound support services. https://lnkd.in/gppYNsTU #housingfirst #affordablehousing #publichealth #johnsonvgrantspass

Last week, the Biden administration took a major step towards safeguarding Alaska public lands by stopping the controversial industrial Ambler Mining Road! The proposed 211-mile Ambler Mining Road was originally approved by President Trump and has been fiercely opposed by Alaska Native communities for years—with 89 tribes and First Nations signing onto resolutions against the road. Learn more about the Biden administration's announcement will help protect Alaskan communities, wildlife, and a globally significant 100-million acre intact landscape below. https://lnkd.in/gJ2gVrKe #americasarctic #arctic #alaska #publiclands #conservation

We are deeply disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision today in Johnson v. Grants Pass. This decision gives communities across the country the go-ahead to enact policies that will further harm people who survive by sleeping outside. Housing is the solution to homelessness, not jail time, tickets, and fines. These punitive actions compound the trauma, debt, and struggles of people experiencing homelessness. We encourage local and national lawmakers to support proven solutions to homelessness—housing first and flexible, individualized support. Our communities can and should do better and respond to the housing crisis by investing in housing. Read more about the decision here: https://lnkd.in/gp9u_Tir #endhomelessness #affordablehousing #housingfirst #johnsonvgrantspass

Today, there are 40% fewer youth experiencing homelessness than just a few years ago in Washington State. 🙌 “Officials say Washington’s effectiveness lies in tailoring interventions for the younger age group by listening to them and looking at data, understanding that the causes and solutions for youth homelessness are unique,” wrote Greg Kim for The Seattle Times last week. “What they’ve found is that the earlier homelessness is addressed, the better. And their plan is to reach further upstream to try to turn off the tap.” This successful statewide initiative can be scaled nationwide. It’s time to adopt national policies to ensure all of our young people are safely sheltered and able to move forward toward a productive future. Thank you to the many, many leaders, partners, and supporters who have made this happen, including (but definitely not limited to!): 🌲 Statewide Leadership 🌲 🔹 Governor Jay Inslee made eradicating youth homelessness a priority by creating the nation’s first Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection 🔹 Kim Justice, Executive Director of the Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection, whose bipartisan approach and focus on listening to those served has been invaluable 🔹 First Lady Trudi Inslee built political support for the Office of Homeless Youth and co-chaired A Way Home WA 🔹  Representatives Tana Senn, Ruth Kagi, Frank Chopp, Timm Ormsby, and Speaker Laurie Jinkins, along with Senators Noelle Frame, T'wina Nobles, and Andy Billig showed bold bipartisan leadership 🔹  A Way Home Washington's leaders and staff extended their work to communities statewide with support 🔹  The Mockingbird Society consistently mobilized youth to advocate for health, safety, and policy reforms 🏃♂️➡️ Philanthropic Trailblazers 🏃♀️➡️ 🔸 Raikes Foundation, especially Tricia Raikes, Casey Trupin, and Paula Carvalho, MIT, provided vital leadership 🔸  Katie Hong raised the alarm that young people exiting state systems suxh as juvenile justice were being discharged into homelessness—a gap fixed by new legislation 🔸  The Satterberg Foundation stepped forward with generosity 🔸  The indefatigable Connie Ballmer and the Ballmer Group’s Andi Smith and Kacey Guin invested heavily in A Way Home Washington to test data and equity driven systems change in 10 communities around state through the Anchor Community Initiative 🔸  Passionate, longtime youth advocates Sheri Schultz and the Schultz Family Foundation, including Marie Groark on their team 🔸  Jim Theofelis, driven by his “Yes to Yes” philosophy of empowering youth, kept the effort moving forward #youthhomelessness #endhomelessness #affordablehousing #mentalhealth #safespaces #washingtonstate #prevention #policy https://lnkd.in/ePXGyXnZ

🌷 ICYMI 🌻 Tom Campion clinched the prestigious Frances K. Hutchinson Medal from The Garden Club of America for his internationally lauded work to safeguard vital wilderness areas! This accolade, the club's highest honor, is reserved for national trailblazers in conservation. In accepting the award, Tom said, “Every American has a say in how our public lands are cared for. The Garden Club of America recognizes—as I do—that seeing nature merely as a resource to be extracted for short-term profits does a great disservice to the incredible beauty and wonder of these wild lands, and our role as stewards for future generations.” Huge congrats, Tom! 🎉  Dive into the details here 👇

In case you missed it, the Office of Homeless Youth recently released a report titled, “Yes to Yes” Washington State: Unaccompanied Youth and Young Adult Homelessness Landscape Scan. The report shares the important and transformative progress our state has made in the past eight years and confirms a 40% reduction in youth homelessness in communities across Washington State! Progress is being made and we need to continue the momentum. Read our blog for more information about this impactful work: https://lnkd.in/gFJGsv3D

🚨BIG NEWS 🚨: The Biden administration announced sweeping protections for +13 million acres in the Western Arctic. This action will help protect some of the most biodiverse landscapes in America’s Arctic and is a huge win for conservation and our climate! 🙌 From Teshekpuk Lake where an incredible array of shorebirds and caribou come to breed, to the Colville River, a critical resource for Alaska Native communities, we’re celebrating the fact that these TRULY irreplaceable landscapes will be protected for the benefit of local Indigenous communities and future generations. Learn more and join us in thanking the Biden administration for their work to #ProtectTheArctic and our #Climate 👉 https://lnkd.in/dsjwi3PK

Washington state has seen a 40% drop in youth homelessness. This is incredible news 🎉 What’s made this amazing number possible? Clear leadership, collaborative communities, and flexible funds for youth. The Seattle Times says, “This success hinges on two things: First, careful screening of candidates (that is, channeling the money toward people with specific, limited needs). Second, using community workers whom clients already know and trust, to help them create plans for stability, rather than handing them off to anonymous strangers in emergency shelters.” #endhomelessness #youthhomelessness #affordablehousing https://lnkd.in/eTzkYGuv

One month from today, the Supreme Court will hear the Johnson vs. Grants Pass case. At it’s core, the Johnson vs. Grants Pass Supreme Court Case case asks whether ticketing and arresting unhoused people for trying to survive—when there are not other viable options—is cruel and unusual punishment. We think it is. Learn more from National Homelessness Law Center https://lnkd.in/e3U-MmiK