Housing and Homeless Advocacy Day

On March 14, SWACH joined community members and partners from across Southwest Washington for Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day 2025 (HHAD) at the State Capitol in Olympia.

In partnership with Fourth Plain Forward and Council for the Homeless, we chartered a bus from Vancouver to make sure community members—especially those most impacted by housing insecurity—could be part of the conversation. The bus was fully accessible and filled with advocates ready to speak directly with lawmakers about what safe, stable housing really means in our communities.

“Housing is a human rights issue. All humans need and deserve a safe and stable place to live,” said Mercedes Zahler, HealthConnect Community Engagement Manager at SWACH. “Our community significantly lacks affordable and stable housing. One of the number one reasons individuals are referred to Pathways services is due to homelessness or unstable housing.”

Organized by the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (WLIHA), HHAD brought together more than 900 advocates from across the state. Participants attended workshops, connected by legislative district, and then met with elected officials to talk about critical housing policies—from rent stabilization to homelessness service funding.

“I am passionate about advocacy and community civic engagement,” Mercedes shared. “I believe that to have lawmakers create policies that serve all Washingtonians, they need to hear from people of different walks of life, especially those currently affected by policies or lack thereof.”

After meetings wrapped up, hundreds gathered on the Capitol steps for a powerful rally. Red scarves waved in the crowd as organizers and community members took turns speaking truth to power.

“There was a fiery, passionate energy on the steps of the capitol during the rally,” Mercedes recalled. “It felt like a moment of unity and strength before sending us out to meet with our representatives, preparing the group to ask for the change we need.”

She was particularly moved by the presence of young people and families advocating together.

“There were grandparents, parents, and children all advocating for housing and policy changes to make funding homeless services sustainable,” she said. “Witnessing so many young people finding their voices and demanding to be heard was healing and brings me so much hope for this next generation.”

Two of those young voices were Thor (15) and Odin (12), who joined the group from District 17. Their reflections offered a powerful glimpse into the emotional weight and impact of the day.

When asked what moments stood out the most:

“It was heartbreaking, but necessary to be there with everyone, sharing their stories and how much families and children struggle for housing security,” said Thor. “It felt important.”

Odin added, “It was emotional, but I felt people were very brave to share their stories and hard work. It felt good to be there and be part of trying to fix a really big problem.”

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On the experience of traveling together as a group:

“It felt grand,” said Odin. “I am happy we had a place to talk and listen. I just wish more lawmakers showed up instead of their staff.”

Mercedes echoed this feeling: “Paris, Heather and crew did an amazing job organizing this group. With so many first-time and experienced advocates, having a coordinated group made meeting with legislators a lot easier to organize and follow. I think going as a group makes it feel less intimidating—you know you are not alone.”

Asked what it meant to see so many people come together for this cause:

“It definitely meant a lot,” said Thor. “It showed how prevalent and urgent the issue is as a state.”

Odin added, “It felt important and that it needed to be heard, because there were so many people—that was living proof, that you had to listen.”

And when asked what they hoped lawmakers took away from the experience:

“That they understood that this is a problem we can't hide from, and we actually need action to do something about it,” said Thor.

“That they actually understand there is a big struggle and needed change,” Odin said. “It may be hard for lawmakers, but they need to make it happen.”

During the day, the SWACH delegation focused on several key policy issues:

“Implementing caps on the amount rent can increase year to year, implementing consistent revenue streams for housing and homeless funding including special taxes, [and] right to representation in housing courts,” Mercedes noted.

Even amidst a demanding legislative schedule, many lawmakers made time to engage with constituents.

“Monica Stonier turned out for the 49th district and stuck around after a grueling night to hear from her constituents,” Mercedes said. “Her entire staff came and listened long beyond the time they had allotted, and she cried tears of compassion.”

At SWACH, we know that housing is health. Without a stable place to live, everything else—mental health, chronic conditions, recovery, even access to basic care—becomes harder. That’s why we show up. That’s why we advocate.

Mercedes echoed this commitment:

“Housing is a fundamental human right and we have been fighting for it for way too long. We need laws to be passed yesterday because there are so many other issues we need to be advocating for. It’s beyond time to make this right.”

She also had a message for those who may not see housing insecurity as something that affects them:

“I think oftentimes if you have never experienced housing instability or homelessness, it may seem like something that is guaranteed. But homelessness is not a reflection of an individual—it is a reflection on a system. My parents had promising careers making 6 figures, until a recession hit that snatched all sense of stability away from our family. The moral of the story is: homelessness and/or housing instability can happen to anyone. We need systems set up to support them.”

And while HHAD is one moment, it’s part of a much bigger movement.

Advocacy doesn’t end when the rally wraps or the bus heads home. It’s in the everyday work of building systems that serve people. It’s in the listening, the lifting, the showing up.

We’re proud to be part of that work—and grateful to everyone, of every age, who joined us on the journey to Olympia.

Want to stay involved?
Visit wliha.org to learn more about housing policy and how you can take action during the 2025 legislative session.