We are really down to the wire in Olympia and we all need to contact our Legislators to fully fund 1406.  Here's the information on 1406 from this week's Legislative Alert from the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance.  Just click on the link below - even if you've already done this, do it again.  You can edit the message - 

HB 1406 will give jurisdictions a new, rare source of local funding to build affordable homes. It allows communities to keep a portion of the state sales tax they already collect, as long as they invest it in affordable homes for residents. For smaller communities, this may be one of the only sources of local funding to leverage state or federal dollars. 

• The House included $69 million for HB 1406 in their budget, but the Senate didn’t fund it at all. As budget negotiations intensify, this puts 1406 at risk of being zeroed out entirely. And without funding, the legislation will die. The Senate needs to hear, loud and clear, that you expect them to meet the House’s funding level – and the House needs your support to insist on that $69 million. 

Last week, we asked you to contact your lawmakers to support full funding for HB 1406, and you responded in unprecedented numbers. Hundreds of your emails are flowing into Olympia’s inboxes – and it’s working. So far this session, lawmakers have heard your voices and passed eviction reform, increased the notice required before rent increases, and controlled costs for building affordable homes. Working together, we have come closer than ever to our goal of $600 million for homes this session. Thank you.

As budget negotiations continue and the end of session draws near, funding for affordable homes is increasingly at risk. If we want to succeed, we must keep up this momentum. If you acted last week, it’s important to contact your lawmakers again and remind them how important this funding is. If you didn’t, now’s the perfect time. 

Tell your lawmakers it's time to fully fund affordable homes in Washington!

This is it. We’re so close to declaring victory for an ambitious housing justice agenda that will mean the difference between homelessness and security for thousands of Washingtonians. With your voice and action, we can get there. 

Thanks everyone,

Maureen

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