As the crush of this pandemic is felt hardest by those earning a low-income, it can be dangerous for those who are living on the street with nowhere to safely shelter in place. At Habitat for Humanity, we know the importance of having a safe, stable, and affordable home—we’ve helped over 1,600 people break the cycle of poverty by working with them to build or repair their own homes. During our Safety of Home campaign, launched in response to the sharp loss of revenue caused by the pandemic, we’ve heard from so many Habitat Homeowners, like Lizet, detailing how their home has become a haven for them and their family.
Across the housing spectrum, the need for a safe place to call home is crucial to the health and safety of our whole community.
For this reason, we are working hard to ensure that our leaders in government stand up to protect our vulnerable residents who experiencing housing instability and homelessness. We know that funding of housing services is vital to that effort; that’s why we are urging our strong base of supporters to vote YES on Measure 26-210 to provide urgently needed funds to the region’s homeless service organizations. We see this as an important step in easing the area’s overburdened housing continuum and helping protect vulnerable populations from the risks of what is likely to be a drawn-out public health emergency.
Voters in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties have already received their ballots, which are due on May, 19th 2020. According to Metro’s guide on the measure, it would provide housing services for approximately 5,000 people with disabilities experiencing homelessness, and would fund housing support for approximately 10,000 households experiencing homelessness or who could become homeless. If passed, the measure would assess a 1% income tax on wealthy individuals and large corporations.
At Habitat, we are advocating for our homeowners and homebuyers as they navigate this pandemic. Many of those we serve are on the front lines of this emergency: healthcare workers, service industry employees, and first responders. See how we are working with city, county, state, and federal legislators to ensure that homeownership is a top priority in their response to the pandemic.