Use your voice for housing justice during the 2026 Washington State Legislative Session!

The Coalition on Homelessness helps makes advocacy accessible for people who care about creating a future where everyone has a home. During the Washington State Legislative Session, we focus on certain bills concerning housing, shelter, tenant protections, and more that will help alleviate the crisis of living without a suitable or stable home in our community. Our team pays close attention to what bills are up for discussion in the House and the Senate, and the Coalition will consistently encourage you to speak up with us when our voices are needed most to help inform the decisions of our state lawmakers. Sign up for our Take Action! emails to add your voice to our collective advocacy.

This year, the Legislative Session starts on Monday, January 12 and is scheduled to run for 60 days (Thurs, March 12).

You can be an effective advocate by knowing what legislative district you’re in and who your state lawmakers are. Use this tool to Find Your District.

Get ready to contact your lawmakers!

Find contact information for your lawmakers here.

Or contact the state legislative hotline by calling 1-800-562-6000. When the legislature is in session, this hotline is staffed Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Our 2026 Legislative Priorities

Last updated 1/14/2026

Sustain housing, shelter, services, and public benefits for people experiencing poverty or homelessness
Include sufficient funding in the State Budget, Pass SB 6027/HB 2359

• Create a contingency fund of $120 million to sustain housing and services funded by HUD Continuum of Care, Emergency Housing Vouchers, and other federal or state housing programs at risk of cuts.
• Sustain access to public benefits for people experiencing poverty or homelessness including SNAP, Medicaid, and other benefits that are being reduced by the federal government.
• Maintain capacity in the statewide homelessness response system. This includes adjusting funding to cover increased costs and allowing sufficient flexibility so community-based organizations can meet the needs of their residents, guests, and clients.

Raise progressive revenue to support people’s basic needs
Pass HB 2100 (Scott) and other progressive revenue proposals

• Washington State does not budget enough funding to provide for people’s basic needs. Progressive revenue would allow us to sustain and expand the housing, services, and public benefits people need to survive.

End discrimination against siting and operating affordable housing and shelter
Pass HB 2266 (Peterson)

• Too many local governments use zoning rules to discriminate against affordable housing and shelter for low-income people. This isn’t fair, and it makes it extremely difficult to create new housing and shelter in our communities. HB 2266 requires local governments to allow shelter and housing for low-income residents wherever they allow housing or hotels for higher-income residents.

Protect people experiencing unsheltered homelessness from banishment and other cruel punishment
Pass HB 1240 (Peterson), HB 2489 (Gregerson)

• Ensure people using their vehicles for shelter can quickly get their vehicle out of impound without paying excessive fees.
• End unjust and counterproductive local laws that punish people for trying to survive outside. Ensure that people experiencing homelessness can sleep, eat, sit down, protect themselves and their belongings from the elements, and engage in other life-sustaining activities in public places when adequate indoor shelter isn’t available.

Stay Involved During the State Legislative Session

Register for our Weekly Advocacy Power Half Hours!

Every Tuesday from January 13 through March 10, 2-2:30 p.m., Zoom

Each Tuesday of this legislative session, the Coalition is hosting a virtual advocacy power half-hour from 2-2:30 p.m. over Zoom.

These half-hour sessions are geared toward people with lived experience in homelessness and homelessness services. Whether you work for a provider or have used services yourself, these meetings will help you keep up to date with the legislative session and what the priorities are for issues regarding housing and homelessness. And they will always include an opportunity to take action together.

We will meet on the following Tuesdays:

January 13
January 20
January 27
February 3
February 10
February 17
February 24
March 3
March 10

The registration is the same for all sessions. Please make your own calendar event. The Zoom link is the same for all sessions.

The best way to receive up-to-date information from us is to sign up for Take Action! emails. You can also join the email lists for our statewide advocacy partners:

• Follow Statewide Poverty Action Network for information and to take action on public benefits, dental care access, higher education access, and more.
• Follow the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance for information and to take action on eviction prevention, affordable housing, progressive revenue, and more.

Take Advocacy to the Next Level

Join us for Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day on the Advocacy Express bus!

Monday, January 26, 2025 in Olympia, WA

Every year, we join the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance for a statewide lobby day in Olympia focused on housing and homelessness priorities. Our Advocacy Express Bus helps people get to Olympia to share their personal experience with their state lawmakers. If you have personal experience with accessing or providing homelessness services, please join us!

Play State Legislative Advocacy BINGO!

Watch our 2026 Legislative Preview

Each December, we host lawmakers and statewide organizations that focus on poverty, housing, and homelessness advocacy to hear what priorities they have for the upcoming legislative session. Watch the full meeting below and read a detailed recap on our blog here.