On Monday, November 22, 2016, the Seattle City Council cast our final votes on the 2017 budget. Once again, the People’s Budget movement won a number of progressive budget victories. Most notably, our Build 1,000 Homes Coalition was able to wrest $29 million in bonds for affordable housing — funding that many Councilmembers had sworn they would never […]

Dear fellow housing justices advocates, Congratulations to you all! Our affordable housing movement scored a major victory yesterday! We forced the City Council to approve $29 million for affordable housing in the 2017-2018 Seattle budget.  Let’s be clear: We won this because we built our Coalition and a movement. We made it impossible for corporate […]

My staff have produced this FAQ to explain why you should join fight to Build 1,000 new affordable homes for Seattle’s poor and working class families and individuals. Sign the petition, then come rally with us for the Council’s first vote on the budget! The vote will take place Tuesday or Wednesday, November 15 or 16 at 9:30 […]

Recently, the Mayor and his staff have said that the City cannot allocate the $160 million in Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) funding that was previously attached to the development of a new North Police Precinct building to affordable housing. They’re wrong. On September 22, 2016, the Legislative Department’s Central Staff published a memo (summary here) which explains, at […]

On Friday, November 23, 2015, the Seattle City Council cast our final votes on the 2016 budget. The People’s Budget movement won a number of progressive budget victories, and I was proud to vote in favor of them. But, even with these progressive amendments, the final budget package remained woefully inadequate. As a workers’ representative that was elected on a pledge to […]

On Friday, November 14th, the Seattle City Council introduced amendments to the Mayor’s 2015-2016 budget. Multiple progressive amendments were passed, including my amendments to raise all City workers to $15/hour next year, fund a year-round women’s homeless shelter, and provide critical services to transitional homeless encampments. However, the positive amendments introduced by the City Council […]

Last Friday, we scored a handful of budget victories that will improve the lives of low wage workers, homeless people, and women in Seattle. Faced with a status quo budget that caters to big business and the super-wealthy, ordinary people had to fight for every dollar. Our victories would not have been possible without the […]

On November 14th, the City Council Budget Committee discussed and voted on a series of amendments to the Mayor’s proposed 2015-2016 budget.  Alongside organizing around the need for a fundamentally different approach to the City budget, I introduced amendments to specifically address income inequality and the needs of the most marginalized and oppressed communities in Seattle. My […]

On the evening of October 30th, labor leaders, community organizers, social service providers, and engaged citizens came together for a People’s Budget Town Hall. Here they shared their concerns about the Mayor’s business as usual budget and began a conversation about what is necessary to make Seattle affordable for all. Below are some excerpts from some of the […]

Come to the City Council Budget Meeting, 8:30 am on Friday, Nov. 14th Dear Sisters and Brothers, On Friday, November 14th, from 8:30 am to 12:00 noon, the Seattle City Council will vote on its amendments to Mayor Murray’s 2015-2016 proposed budget. While waging a broader struggle against a business as usual budget, I am […]