Seattle, WA | October 1994
· Welfare Reform: monitor state and national welfare reform proposals and ensure that any legislation passed helps people move out of poverty, not just off public assistance. As a guide to positive reform, FBAC Board has asopted the Welfare Reform Principles put forth by the national Coalition on Human Needs.
· Welfare Grant Increase: advocate for a 7% cost of living increase for welfare recipients over the biennium (3.5% each year). A similar increase is expected for teachers, state employees and state vendors.
· Unfair Credit Screening Practices: take the lead on investigation on legislation that addresses unfair and costly tenat screening practices affecting low- and moderate-income families in Washington State.
Welfare Reform: FBAC stands firm in its belief that the intention of welfare reform should be to help families move out of poverty. We oppose any reform that measures its successes by merely reducing the welfare rolls. In this time of shrinking resources, legislators continue to look to welfare reform as a way to save money. However, welfare is only 1% of the federal budget, about $20 billion a year -- the price of 10 B-2 bombers -- and less than 3% of the state's general fund. Fair Budget has adopted the Welfare Reform Principles of the Coalition on Human Needs. For a copy of the Welfare Refeom Principles or current welfare reform principles, contact our offices. Congress will most likely take up the the issue of welfare reform in the spring. State legislators will begin in January. We need to speak out and let legislators know that welfare is not the problem, poverty is.
Welfare Grant Increase: The purchasing power of the welfare grant has plunged to less than 47% what the state says is needed to survive. According to the Standard of Need, a family of three in Washington needs $1,158 a month. The grant for a family of three is only $546 a month.
Unfair Credit Screenings: More and more landlords are requiring tenants to pay for tenant screening reports as a condition for submitting a rental application. The reports typically cost about $35. Low-and moderate income people are being shut out of the rental housing market.
Fair Budget is pursuing legislation that would: 1) restrict landlords from charging for more than one tenant screening per household; 2) require landlords to provide tenants with copy of the report within five days of receiving it; and 3) allow tenants to submit a screeing report obtained within the last 60 days to a prospective landlord. Landlords and mobile home parks will probably oppose this, telling legislators that there is no problem. We need evidence. If you have a bad experience with credit-screening, let us know.
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