Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day Brings Southwest Washington Voices to the Capitol

On January 26, 2026, community members, advocates, and partners from across Southwest Washington gathered at the Washington State Capitol for Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day, coming together to advocate for housing stability and solutions to homelessness.

This group trip was proudly coordinated in partnership between the Council for the Homeless, Odyssey World International, Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health (SWACH), and the Southwest Washington Equity Coalition (SWEC). Together, partners supported participation from community members and helped center lived experience in conversations with policymakers.

This year marked the largest Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day yet, with increased participation, more meetings with lawmakers, and new voices stepping forward to share their stories.

Heather Sheppard, SWACH’s Equity and Collaborative Impact Manager, noted how meaningful it was to see broader participation:

“In addition to extra meetings with lawmakers, there were new people testifying from our district and beyond. That was really cool. It means the word is spreading, and people are feeling inclined to share their story.”

She also highlighted the growing leadership across the state:

“This year there were around 180 people signed up to be district leads. That shows a lot more interest in taking on leadership roles and creates more support for one another. When lawmakers can only meet with a limited number of people, leads are able to split up and make sure everyone’s voice is still represented.”

Throughout the day, participants engaged in meaningful conversations with legislators about housing instability and its intersection with health, safety, and community well-being. Immigration also emerged organically as a key theme.

“There was a lot of natural conversation around immigration,” Sheppard shared. “It’s deeply intertwined with everything we’re advocating for, and community members were bringing that forward alongside housing.”

When asked what she hopes policymakers take away from hearing from Southwest Washington advocates, Sheppard was clear:

“We’re going to continue to show up. We’re going to continue to hold you accountable to your community, and we’re also going to continue to support you in making the right decisions.”

Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day reinforced the power of collective action and the importance of centering community voice in policy decisions. SWACH is grateful to all partners and advocates who took time to participate, share their experiences, and show up for housing justice across the region.