Letters to the editor for Feb. 20
The time is now. Legislators must end chronic homelessness
Chronic homelessness is a statewide issue that is negatively impacting our communities. Last year, 23,000 people across the state were homeless. Of those, nearly 7,000 were families with children.
We are all too aware of the chronic homelessness problem in Thurston County. Despite our best efforts to address this issue locally, without a statewide response the problem will persist.
Individuals and families are hurting, and we need to help. State leaders need to support those in the community who are experiencing homelessness and provide affordable housing and health services.
In January, a newly formed coalition, House Washington, sent a letter to the legislature. As members of this coalition — which includes elected officials, housing authority organizations, and business leaders — we are calling on state leaders to prioritize funding for emergency and affordable housing, and increase funding for mental and behavioral health services.
With the optimistic state budget outlook and federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, there are sufficient state funds to address chronic homelessness. This not a partisan issue — it’s a human issue. The cost of inaction is much greater than the cost to successfully address chronic homelessness.
Voters agree. Data from a September 2021 poll found that 92 percent of voters say homelessness and lack of affordable housing are critical issues that our state government must prioritize.
Our moment is now. We invite you to join our coalition at HouseWACoalition.com and tell your state legislators to prioritize chronic homelessness during the legislative session.
Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby
Former Olympia Mayor Doug Mah
City officials promise hope, but don’t come through
My name is Joshua Trueblood, and I was a longtime resident of the Ensign Road area and I am here to tell you that the city has promised those on Ensign Road that they will help us with housing issues. They had promised me that for, like, two months.
Yes, I am a homeless man living in places like Ensign Road, but I try real hard to make the best of my situation. I had a full-time job and was trying to better myself only to come to my spot to find nothing there, without warning — no verbal, no written, no posted sign. The city has come in and taken all my stuff, left me with nothing.
So I got ahold of the city who promised me housing and asked them, “Where is my stuff? Why did you throw my stuff away?” I was half expecting them to say that they found me some sort of housing or motel, only to get a reply from a Kim saying that all she could offer me was a sleeping bag and a pillow.
They made a bad situation worse by far because I lost my job because I had no clothes, no food, no nothing and had to reside on the streets of downtown Olympia to start building up supplies again.
The city has lied to me, made broken promises, and stolen my things because I was camping, only to offer me a tent and sleeping bag.
Joshua Trueblood, Olympia
Really? 30% property tax increase?
So did anybody else have their income bump up 30% in 2021? No, me neither. Mine stayed the same, but my Thurston County property tax bill went up 30% this year. I’m sure this is typical for the entire county’s towns and cities too.
How do these municipalities and county governments plan to spend their 30% bump in revenue over last year’s revenue? I hope plans include addressing our homelessness and housing insecurity problems. Because it is about to get a whole lot worse once landlords crank up their rents further to compensate for this serious bump in property taxes.
There has to be a better way to determine property taxes because the current system is broken and will lead to tax revolts and voter referendums. We’ll be seeing petitions to reform this current system and make it become illegal. California had a couple similar ballot measures over the decades that ended up crippling the state’s tax base due to irate voter revolts.
It is not hard to see where this current unfair system will lead us.
Michael Pelly, Olympia