Health, housing and human services see historic wins in Legislature

Among the historic health, housing and human services bills the Washington state Legislature passed this year were several big DESC priorities. Some are now law, while others await Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature. The landmark investments will benefit Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), affordable housing, tenants facing eviction, emergency shelters, racial equity in housing, behavioral health care access, crisis response and many other needs.

DESC Deputy Director Nicole Macri, who also represents the 43rd Legislative District, sponsored or co-sponsored several of the bills.

Nicole attributes much of the progress and opportunity to the extra pandemic relief dollars in the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

"These are huge one-time and ongoing investments we’ve never had the opportunity to consider before,” Nicole says.

Follow this link to our website, and read about some of the priority bills and where they stand...

Racism, equity, policy are key topics at HFPC 2021

DESC produced another successful--and its first virtual--biennial Housing First Partners Conference (HFPC) on April 20-21.

DESC and our partner Pathways Housing First brought together over 1,300 people from around the country and 13 additional nations to listen to each other and discuss the range of issues most important to Housing First practice, including racism, equity, federal policy and harm reduction...continued on our blog.

DESC’s Daniel Malone and Pathways Housing First’s Sam Tsemberis address the audience in the virtual auditorium during HFPC 2021, held April 20-21. Below, US Rep. Pramila Jayapal.

This is a free event. Please register on  Zoom to receive the meeting links.

Groundbreaking set for Bitter Lake Supportive Housing

On June 1, DESC will celebrate the groundbreaking for a new affordable housing development in the Bitter Lake neighborhood at 924 N 143rd Street, Seattle. DESC has partnered with Bellwether Housing to buy the property and develop the project.

The new building will feature 100 studio units with supportive services and indoor/outdoor community spaces for single adults who are disabled and formerly homeless. DESC will continue to own and operate the building after completion.

We're looking forward to celebrating with you!

DESC in the News 

On Monday, May 17, the Burien City Council will continue its discussion of DESC's application to its Affordable Housing Demonstration Program for the DESC Burien project. The council discussed the proposal twice in April, voting on April 19 to continue it in May.

We’d love to see your film! You can make a film and make an impact.

DESC’s Impact Film Festival celebrates the fact that everyone can have an impact on homelessness, whether that helps one individual or effects systemic change.

Submissions for our 2021 events are now open. We are looking for a broad range of short films (under 10 minutes) that will be juried, then shown at our film festival event.

The film that best addresses the festival's theme will receive the $1,000 cash Impact Grand Prize Award.

There are also $500 prizes for the top films in social justice and compassion impact, as well as the top film submitted by a youth (defined as under the age of 18 through the end of the competition). 

We are open to any film genre, as long as the subject of impacting homelessness is addressed and those depicted as experiencing homelessness are shown with dignity. Professional and amateur submissions are welcome and youth filmmakers are encouraged to submit. 

Read more and find the rules and submission forms on our website.

Thank you for your GiveBIG donations!

A big GiveBIG thank you to all of our donors! Your donations unlocked every dollar in our matching fund! 

You are helping us to provide housing and health care to over 8,000 vulnerable people each year, and we are grateful.

Help us provide the keys to health

Over 10,000 people will walk through The Hobson Clinic's doors each year. Help us provide a gateway that celebrates DESC’s commitment to the vulnerable population that is experiencing homelessness. Purchase a tile for our first donor wall! 

Muralist Sarah Robbins has designed this glass-tiled mosaic wall. It will feature a compliment of keys, suggesting DESC’s logo and the fact that mental and physical health are key to everyone’s success.

This is a permanent installation, built with the rigors of high traffic in mind.  

DESC and Harborview Medical Center are partnering in the project, a full-scale health care clinic with permanent supportive housing in the North Rainier neighborhood. 

Visit this link to get all of the details, to purchase your tile or to donate.