Bush & Bunney: Time-Out on Evicting Seniors

Send our message...

so that Seniors & Disabled residents
can take a breath as we fix this Housing Crisis

Hundreds of Pierce County fixed-income seniors, disabled, and working family residents in Council-members Roger Bush and Shawn Bunney’s districts face eviction.  Poverty-wage paying companies like Home Depot are sweeping in to push out affordable housing under laws that Bush and Bunney have supported.  We are a building a majority on the County Council to call for a time-out so that we can fix this crisis.  All of us who support justice have a unique moment to call on County Council members to enact Goings' and Farrell’s proposed moratorium and get to work on solutions that create living wage jobs and affordable housing.

 

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Bush & Bunney: Time-Out on Evicting Seniors

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I request that you co-sponsor the eviction moratorium No. 2008-111 currently co-sponsored by Council Members Farrell and Goings that calls for a time-out to closing manufactured-home communities until the Council enacts a fix to this crisis.

Manufactured-home communities are the main source of affordable housing in our area that is not subsidized by our tax-dollars. When you tell evicted residents to seek taxpayer-subsidized housing to clear the way for Home Depot, you not only add to the 5000 County resident waiting list for this housing, but you are asking us to subsidize the 2nd largest big box chain store in the world. Why does Home Depot need welfare when it won't pay its workers a living wage?

We understand that you are busy trying to get re-elected. Your time crisis now does not excuse ignoring the crisis of evicting seniors you have been creating for years. This issue brought by Country Aire Manor residents has been before you for nearly 10 months. You have spent weeks of County resources on testimony, reports, and research including the moratorium topic. We expect that you have already become acquainted with a moratorium and formed a position. The proposed ordinance was filed with the County Council clerk on October 21.

Our hope is that the entire Council publicly stands behind mobile home park residents by unanimously co-sponsoring the moratorium now and put its words into action.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
October 29, 2008


Background Information

Jobs with Justice activists know that there is an epidemic of property developers sweeping in to evict mostly fixed-income retirees and disabled residents in Council-members Roger Bush and Shawn Bunney's districts.

For months, Bush and Bunney have acknowledged that Pierce County faces a crisis, needing over 18,000 affordable housing units now and a Pierce County Housing Authority on the brink of bankruptcy. This crisis is only growing with the national home foreclosure crisis.

Bush and Bunney represent the districts which contain the Country Aire Manor and the majority of Pierce County's manufactured home communities. They have passed resolutions that recognize the travesty at Country Aire Manor and call for toothless County activity. Yet Bush and Bunney's policies continue to eliminate affordable housing and create poverty-wage jobs at companies such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Kohls. Where will more poverty-wage workers live?

Council Members Farrell and Goings are co-sponsoring a time-out on these evictions until the Council enacts a fix to this crisis.

Council Member Gelman has signed a pledge to "not allow the destruction of another affordable home for another Home Depot. I support the County moratorium on manufactured community conversions." Council Member Lee has promised Country Aire Manor residents to support a time-out moratorium enabling the Council to protect these homes through rezoning in the land use process that starts in January.

The entire Council should publicly stand behind mobile home park residents by unanimously co-sponsoring the moratorium now. This is the current test of whether being "heartbroken" or an "advocate" means something.