2016 Candidate Endorsements

Tina Podlodowski
Secretary of State

Cyrus Habib
Lieutenant Governor

I will continue to be a leading advocate for the Housing Trust Fund. I will also fight for legislation to help prevent homelessness, such as Housing First policies, making surplus publicly-owned land available for affordable housing projects, and addressing the income inequality which makes it so difficult for many hardworking people to find affordable housing.

If re-elected to serve the 3rd Legislative District as your State Senator, I will continue to address the issue of income inequality by advocating for policies that champion and value all workers and our living wage job-creators. I will work hard to prevent discrimination in housing including prohibiting housing discrimination based on source of income. Finally, I will continue to work to improve educational opportunities so that every child can receive a world-class education and not continue to allow race, family income, and zip code to be the determining factors in educational success.

Housing should be a right in this country - not a privilege. If re-elected, I will continue to champion the right of everyone to a safe, healthy, affordable place to call home. I will do this by fighting for policies that would address Source of Income Discrimination and promote fairness in evictions and tenant screenings. I will continue to advocate for increased funding for the Housing Trust Fund and other initiatives to make housing more affordable.

If elected, we need to look aggressively at the policies we have in place for development and what kind of housing is acceptable. We need to get creative about how we go about building and developing housing to responsibly accommodate population growth at all income levels. We need to welcome urban development and growth while still prioritizing the needs of the folks who already live in our communities and are struggling. I am committed to being that kind of leader.

I will uphold and fight to retain the Growth Management Act and particularly the Affordable Housing Element that requires affordable housing zoning and prevents brownfield and industrial zoning in areas that disproportionately impact the poor.
As a county commissioner I fought for the Affordable Housing Element of the Comprehensive Plan and radically overhauled the indigent veterans program that resulted in an increase from 5 to 100 veterans served, included housing and utility assistance. I fought to remove roadblocks associated with rental agreements that made it difficult for tenants to qualify for housing. I will not support riders that sweep money from the HTF into other programs. I will continue to connect with my constituents and will work to support legislation that provides tangible help to low income and vulnerable citizens.

I stand for uniting our people and building the middle class! All jobs have dignity, and people who work full time should be able to support their families. We can keep our businesses strong and make sure a rising tide lifts all boats. Let’s grow the middle class, increase the customer base for our businesses, keep our businesses growing, and respect basic human dignity. Raise the minimum wage. Unity means looking out for one another. It’s what responsible adults do, and it shouldn’t be politicized. Churches and charities see these problems up close, and they are the first to say we need everyone working together on this, because the scale of the problem is so big. Programs that help the elderly, poor, and disabled should be strongly supported and transparently accountable for results, and those who can move up through work should be expected to do so.

I will work to end discrimination by landlords, including requiring expensive background checks and their refusal to rent to Section 8 voucher holders. All Washingtonions should be able to have a fair chance at finding an affordable home! Continuing to increase funding for the Housing Trust Fund is also critical. This helps meet the needs of low-income people by building affordable homes across the state. Last week, the City of Olympia, in partnership with the Low Income Housing Institute and many other funders, broke ground on the Billy Frank Jr. Place which will offer 43 affordable apartments in downtown Olympia. This is an excellent example of the “fix” for homelessness. At SideWalk, we offer shelter diversion and rapid rehousing, often getting homeless people into homes within a week. Once people have a home, it is inspiring how many of them can get a job and turn their live’s around.

I've consistently been an advocate for opportunities for affordable housing, whether directly through the Housing Trust Fund or indirectly through my support of bans on source-of-income discrimination in housing.

I am a 4-term Clallam County Commissioner running for the State House of Representatives to be a passionate advocate for those who need it most: the disadvantaged, the poor, the sick, the unemployed, the veterans who so bravely served our country, those struggling with mental illness and substance addiction, and everyone else facing tough times. I was raised in a family devastated by alcoholism, drug addiction, and poverty by my single mom after my dad died. I grew up dirt poor, struggling to become the first member of my family to go to college. My wife and I have worked hard to provide better opportunities for our kids than we had. Because of my background, I know how hard life can be, so I’m basing my campaign around creating more opportunities and support for the communities, families, and businesses of the Olympic Peninsula.

1. Help to pass new tax incentives for affordable housing such as the one proposed by Sen. Joe Fain and Rep. Noel Frame in 2016.
2. Build on the compromise effort to pass a portable tenant screening bill in 2016 by seeking areas of bipartisan, cross-interest collaboration
3. Seek to serve on the Senate Human Services, Mental Health and Housing Committee so that I can be in the room to craft good policy to maximize opportunities for all Washingtonians.

In my 30 year career as a nonprofit leader and legislator, I have fought to provide housing to the homeless and those at risk of homelessness, providing leadership on funding strategies like the document recording fee, and policy considerations that expand access to housing. Housing issues will always be one of my highest priorities. 

Affordable housing is a growing issue across Washington state and in my district, in particular. As a career Army officer and wife of a veteran, I know how important it is to ensure access to stable, affordable housing for everyone in our community - especially those who have served our country. I will work to ensure we prioritize investments in the Housing Trust Fund and programs that help those most in need get access to the housing they deserve.

I will continue fighting to ensure that working families stay ahead and have access to a safe, affordable and nurturing home to call their own. With Washington state facing a well-documented homelessness crisis, we must establish an extensive and comprehensive system that is available for those who need access to a safe home and a consistent living space. I fought for increased affordable housing funding including more resources for the Housing Trust Fund. As a state, we have a lot more work to do and we need strong advocates to ensure all families can enjoy safe, affordable, and high quality housing options.

Especially in the richest country on earth, any person who is willing to work hard should not be living in poverty. We must ensure we have an economy that works for everyone and not just the wealthy few.

Experience and seniority matter in the House of Representatives, and I have an abundance of both. I have the ear of the Speaker, I know all the players without a program, and I am the longest serving member of the House Judiciary Committee where many of your bills reside. I have a history of working with your lobbyists and I’ve demonstrated a willingness to use my influence to ensure that your efforts are successful whenever possible.

We need to identify who is homeless and what brought that circumstance into their lives. We also need to encourage our schools to work with us to help identify those without a home. Once we know we can get to work. I am in favor of tiny houses and giving our homeless a hand up. Other states have found success in providing homes over vouchers and there is a cost savings in that as well. I am working on getting ordinances approved for the tiny homes and also working to restore derelict housing so that it can be habitable. We have made a lot of progress this session for homeless vets in Mason County and I am working to expand that. 

As a firefighter I see all too often those that have been left behind in our community. Children, the vulnerable and the elderly being forced out of their homes because of a lack of affordability and very little recourse for them to take due to a decrease of housing opportunities. We have also seen an increase in low income housing being scuttled to make way for high end condominiums. As a legislator one of my top priorities would be to expand affordable housing opportunities through the Housing Trust Fund to everyone regardless of class, race, gender, and sexual orientation along with encouraging development of housing through tax incentives. We have a duty as a community to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I will fight every day as a giving a voice to those who feel they don't have one.

I have been a leader in the Legislature on issues concerning affordable housing and homelessness and I will continue in that role when I am re-elected to the State Legislature.

The epidemic of homelessness affects too many in Washington state, including 35,000 students in K-12 who are homeless, plus thousands more younger than 5. We must work to connect families with services and housing resources they need to find housing and remain near their school communities. Affordable housing goes beyond homelessness. The great distances parents often must travel between work and affordable neighborhoods adds to traffic congestion, stress, environmental issues and time away from family. We must support the Housing Trust Fund, mass transit, affordable housing incentives, and more to ensure our region has economic diversity and works for everyone.

I will work for sound policy and funding for safe, affordable, healthy housing that is based on solutions that are supported by the people themselves.  It is essential to invest in low and middle income housing and work with local communities to ensure a range of housing options are available. I believe it is important to ensure affordable housing includes green energy and efficiencies  to keep utility costs low while protecting our environment.  I would also support multi-sector solutions with government, nonprofit agencies and businesses to ensure cities and towns maintain affordable housing options that meet the needs of ALL citizens, especially underserved communities. Having a home is a basic need and essential to the vitality of individuals and families to move from surviving to thriving.  

Everyone should have the opportunity to live in a safe, affordable home and a community that thrives. My partner, Deb, and I see every day how our city’s incredible growth is leaving many behind. I have brought innovative and pragmatic solutions to our state’s toughest challenges related to housing, mental health, and public safety. I helped pioneer the Housing First approach, offering people a place to live and surrounding them with the support they need to keep that home, and make it national policy in addressing homelessness. As a legislator, I will be a leader in protecting and expanding state investments in affordable housing, primary and mental healthcare, income supports and services for low-income and disabled people, and in enacting laws that protect renters from discrimination and displacement.
 

Washington state faces a wrenching loss of affordable housing coupled with growing income inequality, which increases housing insecurity. I will continue to work to provide state funding to build truly affordable housing (preserving and increasing the Housing Trust Fund and REET); and, require that developments include affordable housing, verify that landlords who receive tax exemptions and zoning incentives provide truly affordable housing (60% MFI), and accept Section 8 housing vouchers. I will continue to speak out and work to ensure that we provide social and health services when Seattle (or other cities) seek to "sweep" clear homeless encampments. We need to provide social and health services in our housing programs, and adopt programs to provide stable housing for public school students in the neighborhood of their schools. Our regressive tax system increases income inequality and housing insecurity. It deprives us of the funding needed to provide housing and education.

The solution to providing safe, healthy, and affordable housing involves building broad coalitions from people in all sectors with a stake in housing, namely tenants and housing providers. I believe in a comprehensive approaching to crafting legislation. This means I will work across the aisle and with any vested group to craft policy that would advance a solution to help create more affordable housing and ensure safeguards for tenants. Furthermore, I intend to speak out and work with local and municipal governments so that the state and cities can coordinate efforts to establish more solutions for the neediest residents. 

I will begin tackling the issue of affordable housing by making sure that the existing legislation we have in Washington state is fully enforced and funded, specifically including the Housing Trust Fund. As a discrimination attorney, I view housing as a right and will advocate for legislation that removes barriers to safe, secure, and affordable homes. In this past session, I voted in favor of several bills to ensure an opportunity to live in a safe, healthy, affordable home, including HB 1565 which would prohibit Source of Income Discrimination in housing both in the Judiciary Committee and on the House floor, where it passed. While it did not make it out of the Senate, I will continue to advocate for it until it is passed.

Clark County, like much of our state, is experiencing a housing crisis. With a vacancy rate below 2% and the fastest rising rents in the U.S., this affects everyone, especially our most vulnerable – seniors, Veterans, the disabled, and the working poor. As a City Councilor, I led efforts to increase Vancouver’s affordable housing by championing three new city ordinances to protect vulnerable renters: Giving people who pay their rent on time and follow all the rules more time to find new housing, providing more time before a rent increase of 10% can be implemented, and making it illegal to discriminate based on source of income. I am now working on an affordable housing levy as well as other local solutions. I will bring the same passion and innovation to the state legislature that I brought to the city of Vancouver and work to protect all vulnerable individuals and families.