Our recommendations for Biden-Harris, Centralized Diversion Fund, news bites No images? Click here What's NewFour ways the Biden-Harris administration can impact homelessness in its first 100 days Building Changes is asking President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris to address homelessness immediately after taking office by implementing sweeping and impactful changes centered in racial justice. We are recommending the new administration support orders, actions, and priorities that: 1) Reaffirm the position of “Housing First” and ensure a right to safe and stable housing for our residents experiencing homelessness; 2) Address the health needs of people experiencing homelessness, especially people of color disproportionately impacted by COVID-19; 3) Direct more funding for programs and staff to support students; and 4) Center racial equity in every approach. The Biden-Harris administration promoted itself as a bridge to heal a national divide. Let our nation start healing by rebuilding communities and offering compassionate solutions to our neighbors who are most underserved: people experiencing homelessness. Centralized Diversion Fund transforms lives and strengthens communities in King County The Centralized Diversion Fund is a common-sense, cost-effective solution to homelessness currently helping hundreds of King County families and individuals get housed by providing fast and simple access to funds they need to secure a place to live. Building Changes recently developed two communications resources, in partnership with Africatown International and support from Schultz Family Foundation, to illustrate how the fund works and why public and private funders need to step up with additional support to sustain this core response to the region’s homelessness crisis. The Centralized Diversion Fund benefits people by: expanding options for exiting homelessness; addressing racial disparities and systemic racism; getting people housed quickly; and simplifying and standardizing processes. Building Changes helped create and implement the fund, which has been a shining light in King County’s efforts to curb homelessness. The data tell the story: 86% of those who obtained financial assistance through the fund have exited homelessness to permanent housing; and 74% of those served through the fund are people of color. News Bites COVID-19 FUND. Back in April, Building Changes mobilized with the Raikes Foundation to create the Washington State Student and Youth Homelessness COVID-19 Response Fund. This fund augments existing public dollars being used to support students, youth, and young adults experiencing homelessness. In just eight months, the fund has raised $3.21 million in private donations and awarded $3.1 million in grants to 186 organizations, schools, school districts, and tribes serving 24 counties across the state. Watch our "Power of Partnership" video to learn more. OLYMPIAN OP-ED. Building Changes Executive Director D’Artagnan Caliman and Treehouse CEO Lisa Chin co-authored an op-ed in The Olympian newspaper last month in which they call for state elected officials to allocate a rightful share of COVID-relief dollars and discretionary funding “directly to schools to ensure students in foster care and those experiencing homelessness have their basic needs met, so they can safely engage in learning.” RECENT HIRE. Our new senior research associate, Kalyn Y., joins Building Changes after working for the Seattle Indian Health Board’s Urban Indian Health Institute, where she analyzed the data of Native patients with diabetes to improve and inform their care and improve their outcomes. Kalyn says: “I find that data, in all its forms, can be used to illustrate the strengths of communities and the barriers that individuals face, and show how systems can do better. Data can help inform us how to create, support, and grow equitable pathways for health and housing.” 2021 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. January 11 marks the start of the upcoming all-virtual legislative session. This year, Building Changes again will be active in our advocacy as we seek to maintain current levels of state investment in the Homeless Student Stability Program, the Washington Youth & Families Fund, and maternity support services. We also will support efforts to create an equitable revenue source for the state through sustainable taxation. NEW WEBSITE. We can hardly contain the excitement around here about our new website scheduled for launch in early spring. You should be excited, too, because the much-improved content and interface will provide you with a better understanding of the important work we do here at Building Changes, along with a greater appreciation of the impacts we are making. Stay tuned! |