We are reaching out to invite you to share your thoughts and feedback on a proposed grant plan that will have a significant impact on communities harmed by the war on drugs. Your input is essential as it will help us ensure that the plan aligns with the needs and aspirations of our community.
You and your communities provide immediate feedback
The Community Reinvestment Plan showcased on its wa-reinvest.com website with full detail, and in this short video. I would love to see you share it across your teams and constituents, focusing on having you join us for Friday Office Hours, or feedback via Survey.
Special opportunity to collaborate on solutions
At this time we have a series of meetings where our lead consultant firm, the Harriet Tubman Foundation for Safe Passage is looking to share early recommendations from community members and turn them into programmatic solutions with the $200 million we have over the next two years. That could be existing programs or new ones, and we’d love your collaboration. Please see the invitation below, which includes a zoom link, and an option to download the calendar invitations.
You may notice one event named “enabling conditions,” and this will be an opportunity to discuss general program practices that have come up from conversations that community organizations have had about systemic changes that may make it easier for the CRP to work well. Pieces that are similar to the existing body of work of the Capital Equity Report.
Early Recommendations Review Meetings
CRP Fund Economic Development Recommendation Review (pptx)
DownloadCRP Fund Housing Recommendations Review (pptx)
DownloadCRP Fund Legal Assistance Recommendation Review (pptx)
DownloadCRP Fund Re Entry Recommendation Review (pptx)
DownloadCRP Fund Violence Prevention and Intervention Recommendation Review (pptx)
DownloadThe Capital Accelerator Fund is a risk pool to provide funding to WA State Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to provide financing and financial services to underserved communities that are often neglected by traditional banks.
The CDFI Homeownership Mortgage Capital grant program would provide loan capital to CDFIs for secondary mortgages in an amount that eliminates the need for mortgage insurance to reduce the buyer’s monthly mortgage payment and/or increase purchasing power.
The Savings Accelerator Fund is a program aimed at helping low-income individuals save for specific assets, such as education, housing, or starting a business. The program provides matched savings accounts up to $10,000 to participants, where their savings from earned income.
The Accessory Dwelling Unit grant program will provide grants up to $30,000 for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to build attached accessory dwelling units to increase their wealth and benefit the local housing market.
The Financial Coaching and TA Program will provide grants to “By and For organizations” to provide culturally responsive financial coaching and technical financial product assistance for households to empower and support individuals and families in building a financially stable future, while respecting and valuing their cultural backgrounds.
The Workforce Accelerator provides grants to Local Workforce Councils to help BIPOC business to participate in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and subsidize wages to train new employees while they work.
The Workforce Job Seeker Incentive Fund is a grant program designed to support Local Workforce Councils Expansion of Economic Security for All (EcSA) programs to support and encourage individuals as they work towards economic security and stability.
The Cannabis Equity Grant Program is a financial assistance initiative aimed at supporting start-ups in the state. The program provides early-stage financial support and technical training to cannabis licensees who meet the social equity definition.
The BIPOC Asset Building Outreach Initiatives Grant will provide funding to groups of organizations and individuals that come together to promote and advance policies and programs that help BIPOC low-income families and individuals to build assets and achieve financial stability.
Since the office was launched, OFSVP has distributed grant funds in communities throughout Washington state, supporting local efforts to prevent and intervene in firearm violence.
The participatory budgeting initiative is a grant program available to community-based organizations to conduct a democratic process through which community members directly decide how to allocate a portion of a public budget.
The culturally responsive community healer program is a grant designed to address the unique cultural and social needs of a specific community.
The Youth Sports Coaches Capacity Program is a capacity grant program for community sports teams up to $25,000. This program would cover the compensation for coaches, training for volunteers, and removal of barriers for youth participation.
The Barber Peer Navigation Program is a capacity grant program will paid training and certify barbers in coaching, violence prevention, mental health, and mentorship to customers during their conversations in barbershops seeks to address the need for community-based support and resources for individuals.
The Reentry Grant Program for the state fiscal biennium beginning July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2023. Grant awards provided under this subsection may be used for costs including but not limited to housing, case management and navigators, employment services, family reunification, and legal services to respond to collateral impacts of reentry. The department must award at least 30 percent of the funding provided in this subsection to applicants located in rural counties.
Develop an automatic criminal record sealing software to expunge criminal records and remit legal financial obligations (LFOs). The project involves creating a tool that automates the vacature and LFO remission processes and is accessible in all 37 counties, with a budget of $2 million over two years. Additionally, an 18-month pilot program will be carried out in King and Pierce counties, partnering with impacted communities to provide outreach, self-help tools, legal navigators, and lawyers to scale criminal record and LFO relief for communities affected by the war on drugs.
Public defenders and civil legal aid attorneys are helping to vacate the convictions of people who are not currently serving sentences, but resources are limited. If you were convicted of drug possession and no other offenses and your conviction was not recent, you may want to consider preparing and filing your own motion to vacate with the court. In order to get your drug conviction vacated, you need to contact the county court where you were convicted. Each county has a different approach for addressing these cases.