Firesteel

This Year’s Wins

Following 105 days of hearings and debates in Olympia, we accomplished several wins that deserve celebration:

• In partnership with the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, our budget priority for a $400M investment in the Housing Trust Fund was successfully funded. We applaud the legislators who followed Governor Inslee’s lead to make bold investments for housing by working to build and preserve permanently affordable homes for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. 
• We successfully rallied for increased accessibility for the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC). With bipartisan support and the passage of HB 1477, people will now have three years to claim their tax credit instead of one – making it easier for people with the lowest incomes to get thousands back. People using the married filing separately status will also be able to claim the WFTC, a critical status many survivors of domestic violence rely on.
• In alliance with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, we championed stable, state funding for programs providing services to survivors of gender-based violence. We want to thank our legislators for funding $50.8M in services for survivors, and including ongoing funding in the budget for domestic violence services. We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with the workgroup established by the Gender and Justice Commission to explore funding options for services addressing gender-based violence.

Not all of our legislative priorities successfully passed this year, but we celebrate our victories this legislative session, knowing there’s more work to be done. We are continuing the work to create equitable, healthy, and joy-filled communities transformed by racial and gender equity, where people, especially women and girls of color, have equal access to opportunity and resources to pursue their full potential.

Our Equitable Approach

Here at YWCA, we are committed to taking an equitable approach to our advocacy. We firmly believe in supporting and advocating for legislation that will create systemic change and uplift Black communities – especially women and families. Wins are important, but what's more important is making sure the work behind it is meaningful – this means consistently centering the communities we serve. We strive to ensure that our advocacy efforts prioritize the voices and needs of those most impacted by inequities, actively seeking their input and collaborating to develop inclusive policies. By centering their experiences and perspectives, we can create legislation that addresses the root causes of social injustices and fosters lasting, positive change.

The Fight Continues

Policy change is not an overnight endeavor – this work is long and hard. In fact, most of the time a bill needs to be proposed and revised multiple times before it successfully becomes law. Meaningful transformations require persistence, resilience, and the ability to navigate the intricacies of the legislative landscape. That’s why we are doubling down on investments to our in-house advocacy infrastructure and providing continued support around bills that didn’t pass this session.

Investing in our advocacy infrastructure 

With the introduction of our new strategic direction, we are set on growing our impact as an anti-racist organization. Like our CEO Maria Chavez-Wilcox said, “as the needs of our community grow – trapping future generations in cycles of poverty and inequity – we must acknowledge that it’s time to do more.” Doing more and driving transformative change starts with investing in our people, processes, culture, and infrastructure.

Ongoing legislative initiatives

Implementing Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) in the state is a great example of how long it can take to pass meaningful legislation. While this year’s session marked the second year it was proposed, it will certainly not be the last – and we’re looking forward to pushing again next year. Across the country, there is a growing need for financial stability so communities can permanently live above the poverty line regardless of economic uncertainties. At YWCA, we will continue to advocate and urge the state to fulfill the basic needs of underserved communities, because everyone deserves room to breathe and spend time with their families.

The Wealth Tax was another legislative priority that did not move forward – a bill that would remedy our upside-down tax code by applying a small 1% tax on intangible, excessive wealth above $250 million in the state. We are dedicated to championing a balanced tax system that holds the ultra-rich accountable for pitching in their fair share to the communities where they also work, live and play. You can learn more about the impacts of our current tax system and the power of progressive revenue HERE.

Join us

No one person or organization created racial and gender inequities and it will take all of us to build the thriving communities we all deserve. There are so many ways to get involved: support our ongoing work by helping us advocate for strong policies at the state and local level, join our community by attending a YWCA event, or volunteer at one of our locations in King and Snohomish counties.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the  organizations and coalitions partnering with us to create meaningful change. Special thanks to: Balance Our Tax Code, Washington State Budget and Policy Center, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, and  Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.