October 2021 Newsletter

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October 2021 Newsletter

Events

October 4 - Speak up for Seattle's Neighborhood Residential legislation
October 6 - Let's Fix Seattle Design Review Lunch & Learn
October 7 - Right To Repair Guest Speakers Nathan Proctor & Rep. Gregerson (33rd LD)
October 9 - Internet Access in Seattle: Zine Folding Work Party
October 12 - Solidarity Budget Testimony
October 23 - Seattle's Community Preference Policy Guest Speaker Jessica Sanclemente-Gomez
November 2 - General Election
December 5 - Save The Date for our Action Fund TRIVIA Fun Fundraiser

Affordable Talaris chatted with folks about affordable housing + saving 271 trees at the opening of light rail stations. Check out our tweets.

Working Group Updates

Affordable Talaris tabled on October 2 to engage with community members. More people needed to talk to Laurelhurst neighbors this fall & winter! They are also co-hosting an event on October 23rd to educate people about Seattle's Community Preference Policy with Guest Speaker Jessica Sanclemente-Gomez from Seattle Office of Housing.

Ballard-Interbay Industrial Lands working group thanks the ~17 folks who attended our amazing walking tour. Stay up to date here. You can take yourself on the walking tour by following the info here.

Upgrade King County is proud to announce that our internet access zine will be shared at King County and Seattle Public Libraries in 2022. Help us fold some zines (virtually) on Saturday, October 9 at the Internet Access in Seattle: Zine Folding Work Party.

We are also hosting an event about Right To Repair with a bunch of great organizations with Representative Mia Gregerson & Nathan Proctor as guest speakers.

Upgrade King County joined with Upgrade Seattle in an electoral endorsement.

Housing Justice, Housing Stability and Ending Apartment Bans

Housing Justice
We are part of the Stay Housed Stay Healthy coalition which is winning tenant protections in Seattle, Kenmore, Burien and more. We are cheerleaders of House Our Neighbors who need volunteers to work on researching what's next after the victory. This work continues to be rooted in the most impacted community members and their leadership.

Design Review
Seattle For Everyone has posted the recommendations for how to fix Design Review. We still want to get rid of the whole thing if don't fix every single thing on the long list of flaws and failures listed in the report. We are hosting a lunch & learn on October 6 at noon.

Solidarity Budget & other coalition work
Our work in October & November is very focused on focusing the organizing around Seattle's Budget. Learn more about the Solidarity Budget and get ready to speak up at several public hearings. Emails & phone calls also help!

We also attend weekly meetings for Seattle Cruise Control who could use more volunteers to show up this month to raise awareness of the really big harms that cruise ships cause locally and globally.

Tacoma Fossil Fuel Expansion Ban!

Write emails using this toolkit today!
Save the date to give zoom testimony Tues Oct 5th, 6pm, link in toolkit
Share the 10/5 facebook event please invite friends
Easy email comment link
Tideflats 101 sign up link: to prep testimony - Oct 4th, 5:30 PM Registration here

Save The Date

We can't wait to see you at our SUPER FUN Fundraiser - a professionally hosted TRIVIA event on Dec. 5 at 2 PM.

Interested in being a Trivia Team Captain? Let us know!

Other ways you can help: post on social media letting people know how we've helped you learn to advocate for better communities. Host a lunch & learn for your organization or community and invite us to speak. Host a virtual house party -- we can help! 501(c)(4) political advocacy groups are underfunded. We are grateful to our founding donors. Join them, if you're able.

What does your support mean?

We have about $15 K in support for our Action Fund and $30 K in support for our Community Education work this year. Your donation, even $5, will demonstrate broad community support. We hope to hire full time staff and grow our organization. Your funds also help to support guest speakers with stipends and for a grant writer and accounting support. Our lobbying and mobilization work is funded through Share The Cities Action Fund. Our community education work is funded through Share The Cities Community Education.

Action Fund Donation

Community Education Donation

Recommended Reading / Listening / Learning

Podcast: Citations Needed: Episode 145: How Real Estate-Curated 'Mom & Pop Landlord' Sob Stories Are Used to Gut Tenant Protections

Podcast: Community Broadband Bits: How Activism and Community Empowerment Brought Anacortes, Washington 21st Century Broadband

Reading: Darrell Owens: Vacant Nuance in the Vacant Housing Debate

Learning: Disaster Gentrification in King County and How to Stop it From Happening Again

Looking for more great articles, events & action alerts?
Visit
https://www.theurbanist.org/events/
& consider becoming a subscriber to The Urbanist.

Please pay rent to the Duwamish, take action to defund SPD by at least 50%, and work with folks living outside in your community to make sure they are safe. Seattle Transit Riders Union Solidarity Fund works to meet the needs of neighbors experiencing homelessness.