Help support 2nd year of our housing and homelessness coverage in and around Olympia
It was almost exactly one year ago to the day that I joined The Olympian with the somewhat intimidating task of reporting on our region’s housing crisis and homelessness emergency. I’ve learned a lot in the past 12 months — about the economics of the housing market, the power and limits of local governments to shape policies, and the people in our community who feel the effects of those decisions.
In that time, I profiled creative enterprises like the wreath-making collective known as “Hohohobos.” I documented illegal evictions and camp sweeps. I held one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health systems accountable for their decision to permanently close a day center that served as a lifeline for people experiencing homelessness.
I’d like to think that I’ve communicated some of what I’ve learned from my reporting to readers, tackling abstract topics like the politics of tax exemptions or methodology of HUD’s Point-in-Time count, breaking them down into stories about people in our community.
My work has focused not only on structural problems but also on solutions. I’ve written about the barriers to increasing density with Accessory Dwelling Units; the success of “safe lots” for people who live in vehicles; the state legislature’s efforts to prevent evictions during the pandemic.
I’m fortunate to have the luxury of focusing on one topic. The ability to hone in on the issues that matter is possible because of the interest and generosity of The Olympian’s readers, who donated to support my work through the Report for America program, which placed me as a corps member in Olympia.
Now, we are lucky to bring in another Report for America corps member, Natasha Brennan, who will focus on telling the diverse stories of Native American tribal communities throughout Washington state.
I’m excited to learn from Natasha’s reporting.
The Olympian is currently running its spring campaign to raise funds to match Report for America’s support for my position and Natasha’s. If you feel moved to support this kind of work, you can do so through Journalism Funding Partners at TheOlympian.com/donate. Donations will directly support Natasha’s position as well as my own.
This story was originally published May 28, 2021 at 1:49 PM.
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