Blueprint for a just and equitable future: 10 year plan to dismantle poverty in Washington released
Many of you joined a presentation in early December to learn about Governor Jay Inslee’s Poverty Reduction Work Group work to create a comprehensive 10-year plan to reduce poverty and inequality in our state. The final report was released this week and provides a roadmap to a more just and equitable future for all Washingtonians.
Not only does the report recommend that the state increase and preserve more affordable housing, but it also ties in how this will increase social and economic mobility for people with low incomes. Strategy five is centered on addressing the urgent needs of people experiencing homelessness by providing more resources for community-led data collection and storytelling to better understand homelessness’s disproportionate impact in historically underserved communities. Other recommendations include:
- Increasing rental assistance and diversion programs that prevent homelessness
- Increasing the number of emergency, transitional and permanent supportive housing options
- Developing stronger partnerships with supported education, job training and employment and collaboration with civil aid legal partners
We hope you will read the report and learn about this important work. We all have a role to play in making the systemic change needed to implement the recommendations. There is an action toolkit that can help you get started.