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Parent advocate urges support for substitute House Bill 1177, citing housing as cornerstone of recovery
Summary
A parent with lived experience told the committee substitute House Bill 1177 would help families involved in the child welfare system secure stable housing; she described two families— experiences—one who received a Section 8 voucher and one still without shelter.
Jennifer Justice, identified as a parent with lived experience and a parent ally with the First Legal Clinic, provided public comment in support of substitute House Bill 1177. She told the committee housing was the cornerstone of her recovery and parenting, and that stable housing allowed her to care for her children and maintain employment.
Justice described two families she works with. One family involved in the child welfare system obtained a Section 8 voucher through the Department of Children, Youth and Families and is reported to be thriving and supporting other families. The other family, Justice said, is a household of five with twins on the way; the mother is a domestic-violence survivor and the family includes a medically fragile five-month-old child. Justice said an interagency team had not been able to secure shelter options for that family, and she asked lawmakers to support House Bill 1177 so families in Washington would not face such gaps.
The public hearing on substitute House Bill 1177 concluded without a committee vote during the session.
