The WA Can’t Wait Campaign is building a grassroots movement across Washington to pressure our legislature in the 2021 legislative session to pass major updates to the Growth Management Act that would incorporate policy to address climate change, affordable housing and environmental justice.
Key Points of the Campaign
- Climate change, housing affordability and issues of environmental justice are having profound impacts on our environment and communities in Washington.
- We believe that these three issues are inherently intertwined, and that by making our urban areas affordable and accessible to all through bold affordable housing policy, preventing disproportionate impacts of local pollution on communities of color, and ensuring that cities and counties are planning for climate change, we have the opportunity to transform the lives of Washingtonians and the natural environment around us.
- As it stands, Washington’s Growth Management Act doesn’t require city/county comprehensive plans to adequately plan for affordable housing needs or address climate change, and doesn’t address issues of social and racial equality in land-use development.
- We have a brief window to make big changes to the Growth Management Act before Washington’s cities and counties embark on their next comprehensive plan updates, which will lock in policy for the next decade.
- Futurewise is building a grass-roots campaign, working collaboratively with frontline communities, community members, and organizational partners to call on Washington’s legislature to pass major changes to Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA) that would address climate change, housing affordability, and environmental justice.
350 Tacoma has written the following letter to our local state leaders to support this agenda:
Dear Rep. Jake Fey, Rep. Laurie Jinkins and Sen. Jeannie Darneille:
We are your constituents and we are also volunteers at 350 Tacoma. We are calling on you to support the Washington Can’t Wait Campaign’s proposed policy updates to the Growth Management Act (GMA). This needs to be done in the 2021 Legislative session before Washington’s cities and counties embark on their next comprehensive plan updates, which will lock in policy for the next decade. As it stands, The GMA doesn’t require city/county comprehensive plans to adequately plan for affordable housing needs, nor does it address climate change and issues of social/racial equality in land use development. Clearly, these need to be part of the GMA.
Why are we urging this? Why is it so important?
Because we only have a brief window to make these changes;
Because we cannot wait another 10 years to fight the climate crisis, adequately plan and provide for affordable housing for people of all incomes, and address issues of environmental justice;
Because the time is now to invest in and protect the well-being of Washington’s overburdened communities, who are all too often people of color;
Because we want our Washington State Legislature to be on the right side of history, boldly addressing these interconnected issues;
Because this provides us with a chance to transform the lives of Washingtonians and the natural environment around us.
We believe in your commitment to make immediate and effective changes to address our Climate Emergency, our Housing Emergency and ensure an Antiracist Washington State at the policy level.
Thank you for supporting this important effort for Washington’s future.
Janeen Provazek
Dan Villa
Nancy Hausauer
Tracy Wiegman
Sarah Dunn