Gov. Gavin Newsom released the May revised budget for the state of California, and even with a significant projected budget deficit, the revision maintains a strong commitment to addressing California’s housing and homelessness crises.

Covid-19 has essentially put a microscope over the structural and institutional racism that is embedded in our communities. The only way to remedy this is with legislation focused on racial equity, improved health outcomes in low-income and rural communities, and actively undoing structural racism.

As we shelter-in-place, we’ve come to acknowledge that self-isolation requires that you have a place to shelter, but half a million Americans don’t, and millions more will join the ranks of the homeless if we don’t take immediate and decisive action.

On February 5th, the Ohio Lead Free Coalition hosted a lunch and learn event designed to promote a dialogue about the intersection between lead poisoning prevention, public health, and housing quality. The event emphasized the importance of cross-sector advocacy to advance public policy, and was attended by over 100 individuals, including housing developers, affordable housing advocates, public health officials, child health advocates, resident organizations, state housing officials, state health officials, and elected officials including the Ohio House of Representatives, the Ohio Senate, and locally elected officials representing the Cleveland City Council, Columbus City Council, Cuyahoga County Council and other local jurisdictions throughout Ohio.

Brief summary of the bills that were on the Pacific Northwest's office lead and support agenda this session and the status of each.