“There have been times when the immediate needs of the public housing communities have been so great that the total energy of the agency has had to be devoted to the delivery of services. But the social conditions that create problems for low-income people must be dealt with if the condition of the poor is to change rather than [be] patched up.”
A Neighborhood House staff member wrote these words in the Holly Park Grapevine newsletter, published March 10, 1977.
Our agency has a legacy of not only running programs to increase access to health, education, and economic opportunity but also supporting policy changes that affect us all. We have always known that solely focusing on one without the other will not do true justice to our communities.
The Neighborhood House Board of Directors stands behind policies and investments that support the health and well-being of low-income people and communities. Learn about the positions we’re taking up today and how you can take action. Specific 2026 legislative measures and agenda include the following.
Priority Agenda
Staff, clients, or board member activities on the priority agenda could include: strategizing with others to advocate, calling, emailing, visiting legislators, providing testimony, communications (via email, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, website, op-ed), educating staff, and attending lobby days.
State
- Protecting Core Human Services through Flexible State Funding – Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) is one of the few flexible funding sources Community Action agencies have access to. These funds must be protected and expanded to allow local agencies to braid and blend resources, respond immediately to emerging needs, and implement community-driven, poverty-reducing solutions.
- Housing Stability, Affordability, and Protection – Invest in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Other Model Supportive (OMS) services, expand the Housing Trust Fund, and address rising insurance costs that threaten affordable housing providers statewide. Protect housing dollars from political interference and ensure resources are used to keep people stably housed.
- Protecting Essential Services and Community Stability with New Revenue – Advance fair, new revenue solutions that provide sustainable, long-term funding for essential human services like food, housing, healthcare, and early learning. Modernize Washington’s revenue system to protect families and communities from the effects of current and anticipated funding cuts.
- Protecting Washington Residents from Federal Benefits Cuts – Develop and make whole again state-level solutions that protect access to healthcare, food,
- safety, and legal defense for immigrants and vulnerable residents. Mitigate the devastating impacts of federal SNAP and Medicaid cuts to prevent widespread loss of essential support for Washingtonians already at risk.
- ECEAP Efficiency Bill – Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) providers consistently report that compliance tasks, such as multiple audits, overlapping monitoring visits, and duplicative data systems, consume time that should be spent directly supporting children and families. This fragmentation leads to confusion, inconsistent expectations, and administrative costs that fall hardest on small community-based organizations. This bill creates efficiencies without sacrificing child safety or program integrity. Specifically, this legislation waives licensing for school-day ECEAP and Head Start.
- Preserve and protect early learning funding, including: ECEAP, Working Connections Child Care (WCCC), and Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT).
- Retain funding for the Economic Security for All (EcSA) and Community Reinvestment Program (CRP) in the 2026 budget.
- Investing in and protecting our immigrant communities: WaMASS, Apple Health Expansion, Legal aid for low-income immigrants, Washington New Americans, Naturalization Services for low-income Immigrants, LEP Pathways, Office of Civil Legal Aid victims of Crime Act, WAISN Hotline (Apple Health Expansion, Backfill Medicaid cuts)
- Pass SB 5992, Youth development fund, and protect remaining youth development investments that WA state did not cut in 2025
- Include $6 million GF-S in the 2026-2027 supplemental budget to extend funding for the Health Homes program to the end of the 2025-2027 biennium.
Federal
- Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) – Retain CSBG funding at the FY 2023 level for FY 2024 and raise CSBG eligibility level to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
- Head Start funding – Head Start issued new Head Start Performance Standards. One new requirement is to raise teacher salaries to parity with public school pre-school and Kindergarten teachers within 7 years.
- The full enrollment initiative (FEI) was intended to ensure that programs were exhausting every possible resource for recruiting and enrolling eligible children. However, work force, not a lack of applicants, is what has been driving low enrollment nationwide. The Office of Head Start has been urged to employ maximum flexibility when implementing the FEI, and we ask that Congress support this request.
- The federal poverty guidelines no longer reflect the needs of families, as the cost of living and minimum wage have increased. This is especially significant in the area where we operate programs for families, where the cost of living is much higher than in most other places in the country. Updating income eligibility should be a priority in order to reach those children and families who most need services in the areas we serve.
- Support for Immigrants – Join with other allies to advocate for/with clients, staff, and community members impacted by anti-immigrant policies and actions. Develop a work plan to support immigrant community members and educate our clients about their rights.
Support Agenda
Neighborhood House is a member of multiple advocacy coalitions. Activities conducted to further support the agenda could include: signing on to letters, communications via email, social media (ex, Facebook, LinkedIn), website, op-ed, educating staff, and attending lobby days.
Attend Advocacy Days when possible
- Statewide Poverty Action Network – January 19
- Children’s Alliance and Early Learning Action Alliance – January 20
- Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network Immigrant Refugee Advocacy Day – January 22
- Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day– January 26 (very well attended)
- Balance Our Tax Code – January 26
- WDC/WWA 2026Hill Climb on Tuesday, January 27
- One America Lobby Day – January 28
- WSCAP Advocacy Day – February 3
- Child Care Aware of Washington – February 3
- Head Start/ECEAP Advocacy Day – February 12
- Refugee Planning Committee Advocacy Day – February 12
- Youth Development Advocacy Day – February 16
Local
- Seattle Human Services Coalition Priorities
- King County Alliance for Human Services Priorities
- Seattle-King County Coalition on Homelessness Priorities
- Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council
- Sea-Tac Airport Community Coalition for Justice (STACC4J)
State
- Balance Our Tax Code (Progressive Revenue)
- Children’s Alliance/Early Learning Action Alliance Priorities
- Child Health One
- Economic Opportunity Institute (EOI)
- Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot
- Ile Kimoyo
- King County Behavioral Health Legislative Priorities
- Northwest Health Law Advocates (NoHLA)
- Statewide Poverty Action Network
- Economic Justice Alliance (Support legislation and investments that further the 10 year plan to dismantle poverty)
- Tri-County Refugee Planning Committee
- Washington Economic Justice Alliance
- Washington Health Coalition for Children and Youth (HCCY)
- Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN)
- Washington Low Income Housing Alliance
- Washington State Association of HS/ECEAP
- Washington State Community Action Partnership (WSCAP) Priorities
- Washington State Public Health Association
- Washington State Nurses Association
- Washington Workforce Alliance
Federal
- Children’s Thrive Action Network
- Families USA
- National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A)
- National Community Action Program NCAP
- National Community Action Foundation NCAF
- National Head Start Association (NHSA)
- Protecting Immigrant Families