Happy Year of the Ram!

Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day

#HHAD2015

The Low Income Housing Institute descended on the state capitol on Feb. 17th in grand company with thousands of other housing justice advocates from across the state!

LIHI residents, volunteers and staff attended meetings with 15 different legislators and their office staff, and left messages at the governor's office, demanding more affordable housing and better treatment of low income tenants! Our advocates were telling the legislators to make better investments in the capital budget for housing, specifically asking for $100 million investment for new housing projects.

Advocates also discussed the complications of applying for housing and the costly fees associated with applications and misleading information that often appears on tenant screenings regarding unlawful evictions.

THANK YOU to residents, volunteers and staff who spent their day walking around the capitol talking with legislators and other housing advocates. We were so excited to have residents from  the Frye, Glen, Julie, and Meadowbrook Apartments and staff from Cheryl Chow Court, Denny Park and our main offices. Also joining us were volunteers from the Urban Rest Stop, afterschool programs, the computer technology program, and our Board of Directors.

We had 25 advocates register to travel together to Olympia; LIHI had representatives from the 31st, 36th, 37th, 43rd and 46th legislative districts.

For information on how you can help advocate:  http://www.wliha.org/advocacy/state

Upbeat on Jackson

Chinese New Year Celebration

 

Upbeat on Jackson's February Concert celebrated Chinese New Year with a dinner and concert of LIHI residents and friends at Ernestine Anderson Place.  Musicians included: Katherine McEwin (pianist); Clarence Mosby (vocalist) accompanied by Michael Dare (pianist); Anthony Williams (vocalist); Tony Mack (saxophonist); and Wanda Gardner-Cockerham (vocalist) accompanied by Sumi Tonooka (pianist) and Frank Clayton (bass).

Please join us on the evening of Saturday March 28th when Upbeat on Jackson will be featured in the Central District's Jazz Walk.  Tubaluba, a New Orleans style brass band, will parade and perform at 7:30.  More info: Upbeat on Jackson on Facebook

Volunteers Help at the Frye & Columbia Court

This past weekend nearly 30 volunteers participated in three volunteer projects at LIHI's Columbia Court and Frye Apartments. LIHI received volunteer help through a partnership with Seattle Works, which provides young professionals with opportunities to volunteer once a month at Seattle nonprofit organizations.

We had two groups volunteering at the Frye Apartments to wash and clean  items donated for residents and to reorganize the storage area. Another group spent the day with homeless families at Columbia Court completing several art projects and having lunch with the children. The volunteers had a great time and we couldn't be more thrilled for their support.

Thank you to Seattle Works.  Special thanks to Melissa Tiberio, Kileigh Andrus and Arthur Warmoth for supervising the volunteer projects. 

Interested in volunteering? Please visit LIHI Volunteer Opportunities

LIHI and Mary's Place Partner

Open Winter Shelter

LIHI has partnered with shelter provider Mary's Place to open a temporary warm winter nighttime shelter at our property at 12th and Jackson in the International District. The shelter, which opened in early February, serves homeless families with children and features meals, showers, and family advocacy services.  More info: www.marysplaceseattle.org

Volunteers from Seattle Works helped clean and ready the building for its new residents