Legislative-Executive WorkFirst Poverty Reduction Oversight Task Force November 25, 2019
Agenda • Welcome and Introductions (8:30 – 8:45) • Taskforce Business (8:45 – 8:50) • WorkFirst Updates (8:50 – 9:15) • Report on Listening Sessions (9:15 – 9:45) • Implementation Update from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) (9:45 – 10:15) • Overview of Community Eligibility from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) (10:15 – 10:45) • Poverty Reduction – Five-Year Strategic Plan (10:45 – 11:15) • Public Comment (11:15 – 11:30)
Post-TANF Support Services • Historically part of WorkFirst • Help smooth the “benefit cliff”
2019 9 Li List stening ening Ses essio sions ns Ov Overvie view w & Themes emes David Hlebain Emil Floresca Laura Lee Sturm
ABOUT POVERTY ACTION The Statewide Poverty Action Network is a grassroots advocacy organization that supports grassroots leaders, mobilizes voters, and advances equitable policy solutions to end poverty in Washington state. 📤 We combine legislative advocacy work with grassroots community engagement to pass laws and create systemic change that is people le-cent ntered ered.
OUR METHOD: LISTENING SESSIONS 2 0 1 9 L O C AT I O N S • Okanagan agan • Longv gvie iew • Des Moines es • Aberdeen deen • Walla la Walla la
OKANAGAN TANF does not pay enough to cover families’ basic needs, including • housing. using. Access essing ing dental ntal care e is nearl rly y imposs mpossible ble for indi dividuals viduals on • Medi dica caid/A id/Apple le He Health th There ere is a severe ere lack k of drug ug trea eatm tmen ent t servi vice ces s and resou sources ces for • comm mmun unit ities ies heavily vily imp mpact cted ed by sub ubsta tanc nce e abus use. e. The e cost t of childca dcare re is insurmou urmounta ntable. ble. •
“My hope for my family is to get to the point where we're overflo lowin ing. . No Not t ju just t ba barely ly abl ble to f o fig igure ou out h t how to b o be giv ivin ing. Everythin thing g I ca care abo bout t has to d o do o wit ith ma makin ing th the wor orld ld a be bett tter pla lace ce. I h hop ope th that t for or my kid ids, I hop ope th that t th they find their gifts [in life].”
LONGVIEW The e rising ng cost t of rent t is out utpac pacing ing incom ome, e, and waitlis tlists ts for housin sing g programs grams are year ars- • long. Stigma, gma, jud udgeme gement, nt, and violen lence ce direc rected d at low-inco income e indi dividuals viduals and peop ople le • exper perien ienci cing ng homeles omelessn sness ess is pervas asive. Denta ntal care is diffic icult t to access ess, , and it is near arly ly imposs mpossible ible to find nd preventativ entative e care. • Navigat gating ng the e criminal inal jus ustice ice system m is extr trem emely ely difficult. cult. •
“My TANF grant is $670 and my rent is $995. That's not cons nsidering idering vehicle icle costs ts. . You guys know w what t it ta t takes to raise e children. ldren. It' t's expens nsiv ive e jus ust t to sup upply y th them m with th th the basic ic neces cessities ities. . And nd with th my rent nt being ing over er $300 more e th than my TANF NF grant ant is, I'm left t to sell l belong longings ings, , and d th that t only ly lasts ts so long. g. Or beg g fami mily ly un unti til l I can n find nd a b bett tter er sour urce ce of income. come. Most t of my relatives say, ‘I'm sorry, we're barely paying our bills too.’”
DES MOINES It is extremely difficult to cover a family’s basic needs while accessing TANF . • Indiv dividu duals ls do not ot feel el equi uipped ped to navigat gate e DSHS HS progra rams ms indep depend enden ently tly and would ould • bene nefit t from om an advoca ocate who o kno nows ws the e system em. Indiv dividu duals ls se seek eking ng ass ssista stance nce from om DSHS HS repor orted ed negat ative e and disresp srespect ectful ful treatm eatment. ent. • TANF’s limits on vocational education - and time e limits ts genera nerally lly – impede students’ ability • to pur ursue e the e type pe of educ ucati tion on that t could uld help lp their eir fa famil ily y achie ieve e long g term rm stability ility.
‘’I want to give my kids the life that they deserve and let them live how w a c child ld should ld. . I want t to be a nurse, e, and my ulti timat ate e goal l is th that t my kids s will ll go and do what t th they're 're suppos osed ed to do. Go to college. They don't have to repeat the cycle.”
ABERDEEN • Eligi gibi bili lity ty requirem uiremen ents ts to stay y in good standing nding with social al service ce program ram are too strict. • The lack k of commu munication cation bet etwee een n services, es, program rams, s, and d case e work rkers within in DSHS leads ds to incons onsis isten ent t service e delivery and d difficu culty ty naviga igatin ting program rams and d systems ms. • It is difficult ult to quali alify fy for subsidized ized childcare care, and nd low work rker r wages es imp mpac act t qual ality ity of services es. • Debt inhibi bits ts opportu tunity ity for fa familie ilies s to move out t of poverty ty. • The lack k of affordabl dable, e, acce cessib ible le dental tal care e nega gativ tivel ely y imp mpac acts overall all well-bei eing ng.
“I feel like at some point in time my feet are going to be knocked out fro rom m un under der me me over er th this debt bt th that t I owe e th that t keeps s adding ding up up. The interes erest t accrue rues. s. I keep gett ttin ing g a sta tatement ent and d no matt tter r how w much I pay for it, t, it t doesn't sn't matt tter. . It t goes up higher er and nd higher er and d higher er and it never matters.”
Supporting Postsecondary Students’ Basic Needs 2SHB 1893 & 2SSB 5800 Implementation Dr. Erin Frasier, Policy Associate, SBCTC Ami Magisos, Assistant Director, WSAC
Agenda • 2SHB 1893 Sect. 1 – Postsecondary Student Assistance • Student Emergency Assistant Grant (SEAG) Program Overview • Participating Colleges • ESSB 5800 – Homeless College Students – Pilot Program • Pilot Program Overview • Participating Colleges and Proposed Accommodations
Postsecondary Student Assistance (2SHB 1893)
Program Overview • Allows Washington Community and Technical Colleges (CTCs) to provide monetary assistance to students experiencing unforeseen emergencies or situations that affect the student's ability to attend classes. • Criteria for Colleges • low-barrier access • ALL students eligible, not just those defined as “needy” • Disbursement prioritization defined • Program Requirements • Funds are for monetary aid to students • FAFSA application cannot be required • Students must submit requests in writing Postsecondary Student Assistance (2SHB 1893)
Student Emergency Assistance Grant (SEAG) Program Program Principles Delivery Model • Trust Students • Student Outreach • Be Timely • Request Process • Create a Network of • Review & Decision Support Process • Be Free of Bias/ • Notification Process Discrimination • Disbursement Process • Track Outcomes/ Provide • Follow-up Process Follow-up • Leverage Available Resources Postsecondary Student Assistance (2SHB 1893)
SEAG Program Colleges • Centralia College • Peninsula College • Walla Walla Community • Seattle Central College College • Edmonds Community College • Skagit Valley College • Green River College • Lake Washington Institute of • Whatcom Community College Technology • Grays Harbor College • Lower Columbia College • Pierce College District • Shoreline Community College • North Seattle College • Clark College • Tacoma Community College Postsecondary Student Assistance (2SHB 1893)
Homeless College Students – Pilot Program (ESSB 5800)
Program Overview • Two Universities and Four Community or Technical Colleges • Provide accommodations to students experiencing homelessness, housing security or who were in the foster care system at the time of high school completion • Access to laundry facilities • Access to storage • Access to locker rooms or shower facilities • Reduced-price meals or meal plans • Access to food banks • Access to technology • Access to short-term housing or housing assistance • Provide students with community resource information Homeless College Students – Pilot Program (ESSB 5800)
Pilot Evaluation • Minimum reporting requirements • Program-eligible students attending during pilot program • Program-eligible students assisted by the pilot program • Accommodation strategies • Legislative recommendations to better serve students • Formative & Summative Evaluation • Additional metrics based on accommodation type • Learning Community Homeless College Students – Pilot Program (ESSB 5800)
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