Partnering in policy to improve outcomes

With the end of the 2024 short Legislative Session in Washington, Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health’s Equity and Collaborative Impact (ECI) team celebrated the work of advocates with a wrap up party on April 10.

The legislative session ran from Jan. 8 to March 7, and included bills focused on reducing homelessness and increasing housing stability through Southwest Washington.

The Legislative Wrap Up Party saw 40 people attend El Viejon Taqueria & Mariscos.

During the wrap up, attendees expressed gratitude and enthusiasm for the advocates working in the community, while also looking back at the challenges faced.

“We made the best use of our resources and power by partnering with other leading organizations in the community already doing the work,” said Heather Sheppard, Equity and Collaborative Impact Manager. “We believe that housing is a human right and housing is healthcare.”

Over the last few months, ECI has been hard at work, concentrating more efforts towards leveraging community voice to enact real change at the local, state, regional and national level.

As part of this Legislative Session, ECI and Council for the Homeless helped over 90 area residents travel to the Capitol on Jan. 30 for Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day. The main focus of the trip was advocating on behalf of rent stabilization, specifically House Bill 2114 and Senate Bill 5961.

“Through dedicated efforts, advocates showed up on the Capitol steps to share their experiences with housing instability,” Sheppard said. “Folks bravely shared their stories directly with law makers and elected officials in pursuit of rent stabilization in Washington State.”

With this Legislative Session, ECI was mindful of how community voices were accessed and leveraged. As the team looks ahead to needed work, how we continue to receive and act on community voices are on the forefront of everyone’s mind.

“The wrap up party was a way for us to thank our advocates, celebrate one another, and care for community over food and connection,” Sheppard said. “We will be back and ready to go for the next session.”

The next Legislative Session is set to begin Jan. 13, 2025. You can stay up-to-date on our advocacy efforts on our website, and by joining the advocacy email list.