FREE EACH VOLUME 27 MONTH ISSUE 3 A community-based newspaper serving the Puget Sound area since 1981 March 2008 Articles translated into six languages TheTheThe newspaper VoiceVoice of Neighborhood House SHA to hold a You may qualify lottery to create for the Earned a new Section 8 Income Tax Credit waiting list BY VOICE STAFF Low-income working individuals and their families may be eligible to BY SHA STAFF receive a tax refund between $428 and $4,716 if they apply for the federal This month, as it did in 2006, Seattle Earned Income Tax Credit. Housing Authority will create a new Congress originally approved the waiting list for its Housing Choice tax credit in 1975 as a way to offset Voucher Program (Section 8) by means the burden of social security taxes on of a mail-only lottery. low-income people and to provide an The 2006 lottery produced a wait- incentive to work. ing list of 4,000 households chosen at When the EITC exceeds the amount random by a computer program. of taxes a person owes, it results in a tax All households on that list have been refund to those who claim and qualify contacted, and so a new list is needed. PHOTO BY TYLER ROUSH for the credit. Asked why the agency is again con- To qualify, taxpayers must meet cer- ducting a lottery to create a waiting Candidates vie for support in Washington tain requirements and file a tax return, list for the popular program, Barbara even if they did not earn enough money Strayer, Section 8 program manager, Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama speaks to a to be obligated to file a tax return. said, “We feel it’s the fairest way. capacity crowd at Key Arena Friday, Feb. 8. Obama and New York senator Hillary United Way of King County and the Nobody has to rush down to get first- Clinton visited Seattle in advance of the state’s caucus on Feb. 9, which Obama won by come, first-served forms; everybody a 2-to-1 margin. For special coverage of the state caucus, turn to Page 4. Please see “EITC” on Page 2 who mails in the form will have an equal chance.” She pointed out that the actual “draw- ing” of names is done by a computer us- ing a random selection procedure. Hundreds rally in Olympia Printed lottery sign-up forms will be available beginning Tuesday, March 25 for affordable housing at these SHA offices and facilities: • PorchLight, 907 NW Ballard Way, BY SHA STAFF Suite 200 (open Tuesday through Fri- day, 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.; closed On Feb. 14, Scattered Sites resident Gina Owens, SHA Ex- Mondays) ecutive Director Tom Tierney, Deputy Director Andrew Lofton, • The Central Office, 120 Sixth Av- Director of Housing Advocacy Lisa Cipollone-Wolters, KCHA enue N (open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Director of Policy Megan Hyla and some 500 other supporters of Monday through Friday) affordable housing journeyed to Olympia from all corners of the • All Low Income Public Housing state to rally in support of affordable housing. apartment buildings across the city In her greeting to the group, Gov. Christine Gregoire pointed • Management offices at Yesler Ter- out that she and House Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Major- PHOTO COURTESY WASHINGTON LOW INCOME HOUSING ALLIANCE race (open 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday ity Leader Lisa Brown had publicly declared housing to be the Advocates from all over Washington State head for the Capitol through Friday), NewHolly (9 a.m. top priority of the state government during the current legislative in Olympia to urge legislators to fund affordable housing until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday) session. measures. Rainier Vista (8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Mon- “Thank you to each of you for being here to say that you will day through Friday) and High Point (8 not stand by while the richest nation in the world allows homeless- increase in the Housing Trust Fund — the House has since ap- a.m. until 5:30 p.m., Monday through ness to happen,” she said. proved $90 million — and for a $10 million increase in the State’s Friday) The first two bills the governor signed into law in 2008 were SB Transitional Housing, Operating and Rent (THOR) program for • The Operations Center at 1300 N 6335, which allocates $6 million for the Washington Families Fund homeless families. 130th Street (open from 7 a.m. until to create service-enriched housing for homeless families, and SB About 10 residents from Wonderland Estates, which KCHA 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday). 6272, which provides $1.5 million toward financial literacy and purchased last year, spoke with 5th District legislators about Starting on Tuesday, March 25, the counseling meant to help Washingtonians keep their homes. working to increase the Housing Trust Fund. They have a stake in lottery sign-up form will also be avail- Speakers reminded the rally participants that there is much the fund because it can help pay for preserving and maintaining able for downloading and printing from to be done in the fight to ensure that affordable housing is avail- Please see “Section 8” on Page 3 able to everyone who needs it. They argued for a $100 million Please see “Housing” on Page 5 In this issue Quotable Neighborhood House Nonprofit org. Jesse Epstein Building U.S. postage PAID Health Notes Page 2 “The rules that govern the 905 Spruce Street Seattle, WA HELP SOMEONE WITH CANCER Washington state caucuses and Seattle, WA 98104 Permit #8887 Poet of light Page 3 primaries ... prohibit independent MICHAEL LEWIS EXPLORES THE voters from participating.” COSMOS — Harry Ohman, on why he chose not Dalai Lama to visit Page 5 to participate in the Washington caucus RESIDENTS INVITED TO ATTEND and primary. To read a collection of SEEDS OF COMPASSION EVENT personal essays about the Washington Translations Page 8 caucus, turn to Page 4. EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT 2 – LocAL AND NAtIoNAL NewS MARCH 2008 Health Notes A column devoted to your well-being Housecleaning that How to lend support when helps the earth someone you know has cancer Simple products work To learn more best, are better for the Here are some Web sites that pro- BY PAM MCGAFFIN continuing as many regular activities as vide more information about inexpen- Special to The Voice possible to maintain a sense of normalcy. environment sive and natural cleaning products: Assure your friend that he or she can www.bakingsodabook.co.uk/ Support from family and friends is depend on you. www.familyshoppingbag.com/ critical to cancer patients going through • Adapt to changing roles. While it’s BY VIRGINIA FELTON natural_cleaning.htm treatment, but what should that support important for a person with cancer to Seattle Housing Authority www.versatilevinegar.org/us- look like? Many of us worry we won’t keep a routine, understand that family esandtips.html know what to say or do, or worse, that dynamics might change. For example, There are several commonplace natu- www.vinegartips.com/cleaning/ we’ll do the wrong thing. one parent might have to take on more ral substances that work really well for www.epa.gov/kidshometour/ A survey by Cancer Treatment Cen- childcare duty. Respond with practical housecleaning. As an added bonus, these ters of America found that friends and solutions, like organizing help from materials are very inexpensive. family offer primary support for people friends. Baking soda and vinegar work extreme- bottle diagnosed with cancer. According to the • If a friend has cancer, ask him or her ly well for many household uses, are better To a quart (four cups) of water, add 2003 survey, only 1 percent of male and for suggestions on how to help. If your for the environment than many commercial four teaspoons of baking soda and a half 4 percent of female cancer patients turned friend is getting many such requests, cleaning products, and are much less ex- cup of vinegar. Put this into a spray bottle to organized support groups as their main offer to coordinate efforts. Be alert to pensive than most commercial products. and use it to clean counter tops, floors, etc. source of support. your friend’s needs – be it childcare or Baking soda is, chemically speaking, a (This is also a great way to recycle spray “When people are diagnosed with house cleaning – and remember that some weak alkaline. As such, it acts to neutralize bottles purchased originally for those more cancer, support from friends and family people have a hard time asking for help. acids and break down proteins. This quality expensive cleaning products.) is often the key to helping them endure • Be prepared to communicate with accounts for its usefulness in cutting grease Odor remover — What you need: bak- the rigorous medical treatments and emo- health care professionals. Dealing with and dissolving dirt and stains. ing soda tional stress that may accompany their the health care system can be confusing, Vinegar, the other superstar of natural By itself, baking soda is a great odor diagnosis,” says Robin Adler, director intimidating and time-consuming. Your cleaning products, is slightly acidic. This remover. Sprinkle it on carpets, and rub it of mind-body medicine at Seattle Cancer loved one may appreciate your stepping chemical property also helps vinegar to in with a broom, then sweep or vacuum. Treatment and Wellness Center. “Most up. Begin by educating yourself about dissolve grease and clean dirt off windows Sprinkle it on pet bedding.