On Friday, March 14, Plymouth employees joined hundreds of advocates from across the state at Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day (HHAD) 2025 in Olympia. This annual event, sponsored by the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, is an opportunity for individuals to meet with their lawmakers, share their stories, and rally with fellow advocates. 

Washington is experiencing a severe housing shortage, which pushes more people into homelessness every day. To meet this skyrocketing need, our state must grow its housing supply, make it easier for new housing to be built, and increase funding for essential services like permanent supportive housing (which Plymouth provides).  

 

Together with an outspoken, passionate crowd, a group of 25 Plymouth staff—plus board members—helped send a big message to the legislature to prioritize solutions to housing and homelessness this session. 

The biggest event of the day was a rally on the Capitol steps, with guest speakers including Representatives Natasha Hill and Shaun Scott, and Senator Noel Frame sharing their commitment to housing justice. The crowd experienced an Indigenous drum circle, listened to a powerful spoken word performance, and learned a bilingual chant from Firelands, a group of working people united to rebuild rural and small-town Washington.

Plymouth staff speak out 

We spoke with Plymouth staff and attendees about why they attended Advocacy Day, and what they hoped to get from the experience. 

Anthony Walton, Residential Specialist, said: “When we do this work, it’s almost always invisible. Coming down here to be seen is part of the process to get things changed,” Anthony said. This was his second time at HHAD. 

Katt Claudio, Housing Case Manager, is an advocate for rent stabilization. “Landlords are raising rents every quarter for no reason. It helps our tenants plan for the future, knowing their rent isn’t going to go up,” Katt said about the stability Plymouth gives to our residents. 

 

Christine Schlienz, Learning and Development Trainer, said, “I care about our residents, our employees, and our city, and want to make sure that the new presidential administration doesn’t affect the quality of life of people I care about.” Rae Hill, Peer Support Specialist, agreed wholeheartedly with Christine! 

 

Nita Martinez, Housing Case Manager, shared her desire to show up for residents where they are not able to themselves. “Housing First is our mission at Plymouth and the tenants themselves can’t always be an advocate. I want to be an advocate for them, to show my support by coming here.” 

Myron Pinkney, Safety Ambassador, spoke up against rent hikes, both in terms of our residents’ lives and his own. He said he wanted to support the cause and be a part of something bigger. This was Myron’s second time at HHAD. 

 

Brenda Baxter, a long-term member of the Promoters of Plymouth (PoP) Ambassador Board who lives in downtown Seattle—where most Plymouth buildings are located—said that talking to legislators is an important step to promoting housing justice in our communities. 

 

Thank you to the dedicated Plymouth staff and community who joined us at Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day in 2025!