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Upcoming Partnership Committee Meetings:
Fair Housing Subcommittee
June 13, 9:30-11:30 AM
Puget Sound Regional Council
June 25, 2:30-4:00 PM
Puget Sound Regional Council
Affordable Housing Steering Committee
June 27, 9:00-11:00 AM
Puget Sound Regional Council
Equity Network Steering Committee
July 10, 2:00-4:00 PM
Location TBD
July 12, 9:00-11:30 AM
Puget Sound Regional Council
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New TOD Fund Committee
The Growing Transit Communities Partnership has formed a committee to help guide the work of consultants Enterprise Community Partners and Impact Capital, who are investigating the development of a revolving loan fund to support land acquisition, pre-development costs, and preservation of affordable housing in transit communities. The TOD Fund is a key implementation tool that is targeted to provide up to $60 million in funds for the development of TOD projects throughout the region. If you are interested in getting involved in considering the potential structure of the fund and identifying potential sources of capital please contact Tim Parham.
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Regional Fair Housing Equity Assessment Kicks off with a Survey!
 The Growing Transit Communities Partnership has kicked off its Regional Fair Housing Equity Assessment (FHEA) with a survey to find out about perceptions and experiences on issues related to equal opportunity to housing. If you are a resident of King, Pierce, or Snohomish County, please take a moment to take the survey and forward it to your contacts and constituents.
The FHEA, a work plan element of the Growing Transit Communities Partnership, will identify areas of segregation, increasing diversity, and concentrated poverty, examine the impacts of major public investments on different communities, and evaluate existing fair housing services and activities. The Fair Housing Center of Washington, with direction from the Growing Transit Communities Fair Housing Subcommittee, will conduct the FHEA, which will culminate in a report of findings and recommendations in Fall 2013. For more information, please contact Tim Parham.
It is of utmost importance to include diverse communities in this discussion, many of whom may not native English speakers. If you would like the survey translated into another language, please send your request as soon as possible to Tim Parham. The deadline for the survey is June 30th.
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Spotlight on Equity Network Grant Recipients
The Growing Transit Communities Partnership's Equity Network Grant Program has invested over $420,000 in community-based organizations to provide resources to organize and increase participation of historically underrepresented communities and give voice to community priorities. Below are program highlights from three of the 36 projects funded under the program.
Somali Community Services Coalition's goal for their equity grant is to give a voice to the East African community, which is often underrepresented in local planning and decision-making, and to ensure that the community's values are reflected in upcoming development. Their report Equity for All captures priorities for the East African community near the SeaTac and Tukwila light rail stations, including affordable housing that can accommodate families and the importance of community anchors, such as culturally appropriate shopping options, places of worship, and community centers. Equity for All concludes with recommendations that emerged from this community outreach. The report was shared and discussed with the broader community at a forum and celebration on April 27.
 Got Green is the lead organization for the Construction Jobs Equity Coalition (CJEC) in Seattle, which hosted a community forum on March 23. Over 150 community members and elected officials attended to learn how a Target Local Hire program could ensure that a portion of the thousands of construction jobs created by City-funded Capital Improvement Projects over the next decade go to the local residents and communities hardest hit by the economic recession. This forum was followed by a brown bag at City Hall on May 22 to hear about Target Local Hire programs in other cities and featured speakers from San Francisco and Partnership for Working Families.
 The non-profit organization, Solutions for Humanity, Community, and the Environment, mentored youth to participate in public processes. This included some training on civic engagement and the democratic process, one-on-one mentoring with young people to prepare them to attend a series of public meetings, and discussions about these experiences. Solutions worked with the adult mentors and youth involved in this project to create a video of the youth reflecting on their experiences and providing suggestions for how to better engage young people in public processes.
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