After Alice was laid off, she and her three young children were forced to live with friends and family. Moving from place to place was tough on the family; one year, the oldest child attended four different schools in two different states. Alice's family eventually found a stable, affordable home built with the support of the Housing Trust Fund. This fund, along with the state’s social safety net, is in danger as our lawmakers negotiate a budget. Your advocacy is more important than ever -- learn easy ways you can speak up and help keep families like Alice's in safe, affordable homes.
Monthly Archives: June 2013
Culture Watch: “Eden” and Slavery in America
Jamie Chung portrays a sex trafficking victim in “Eden.” Original image from the EdentheFilm.com.
The arts not only reflect our society, but also have the potential to re-shape it by raising awareness and inspiring action. We’re excited to launch “Culture Watch,” a new blog series examining how issues related to homelessness are portrayed in movies, TV series, music, visual art displays, stage plays and more. Frequent guest blogger Perry Firth, a graduate assistant at Seattle University’s Project on Family Homelessness, contributed this first post. After watching the movie “Eden,” filmed in Eastern Washington and based on a true story of sexual trafficking, Perry was moved to reflect on the relationship between trafficking and homelessness.
Family Homelessness Experts
An expert panel of community members who have experienced homelessness spoke at the Conference on Ending Homelessness. Photo credit: Janice Tufte.
The Washington Low Income Housing Alliance's excellent 2013 Conference on Ending Homelessness featured many of the speakers you'd expect -- direct service providers, policy wonks, elected officials, and leading advocates. But organizers also offered a panel discussion by experts we don't see often enough at these types of gatherings: people who have experienced homelessness themselves. They are, of course, voices we should be listening to as we advocate for an end to homelessness, and we commend the Housing Alliance for including their perspectives. We recorded a couple of their stories, and we've included videos of Mindy and David.