To candidates who didn’t win election in 2021, Tri-Cities has a critical mission for you
While there are still ballots left to count from Tuesday’s election, the outcome is already clear in most Tri-City races.
To the candidates who won, we offer congratulations.
To those who didn’t, we say take heart because we’ve got a suggestion for you.
Prior to the election we interviewed candidates in 21 races. During those discussions the same concern surfaced over and over again: How to address the lack of affordable housing in the Tri-Cities.
If left unsolved, this problem will end up putting families on the street and crippling the community’s ability to attract new businesses.
While council members are doing what they can within their own cities, what the community really needs is a bicounty task force to tackle this major dilemma on a regional level.
Who better to lead such a group than those who campaigned on confronting this issue and now have the time to focus on it?
Elected leaders certainly will play a role in this effort, but a community-wide task force should be led by people who won’t be perceived as tied to parochial interests.
That’s why it would be better if this endeavor was organized at a grassroots level — much like the way Michelle Gerber launched the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition.
Her mission to establish a detox facility in the Tri-Cities has made progress because of her relentless push to make it happen.
Every project needs a champion for it to succeed.
City council candidates like Gail Brown of West Richland and Marianne Boring of Richland won’t be returning to their council posts, but their years of studying city codes, growth and development would make them a valuable asset to a Tri-City affordable housing task force.
Brown is especially concerned about the elderly who may not be able to afford property taxes and end up homeless because of it.
Ginger Wireman, who ran unsuccessfully for Richland City Council, calls herself an “urban planning nerd” and her commitment to helping lower-income workers find decent homes also would benefit such a group.
Other names that come to mind are political newcomers like Chaune Fitzgerald, Kurt Maier, Steven Davis, Theresa Morrell, Ken Short and Jason Lohr — who all said they were running for office because they want to serve their community.
Don’t let an election loss stop you.
The Tri-Cities is fast becoming a place that is unaffordable.
This makes it tough when, for example, Amazon plans to build a huge distribution center in Pasco.
It is exciting news, but there is already concern about how to fill the 1,500 jobs that come with this new boost to the Tri-City economy. And then, of course, another concern is how to house all those workers who don’t already live in the community.
As for school board candidates who didn’t win their races, there are other ways to help students besides serving as an elected official.
LoAnn Ayers, President and CEO of United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties, told us that the number of homeless children is rising in the Tri-Cities and with the state eviction moratorium ending this month, there likely will be even more families struggling to find a place to live.
We reached out to Ayers about the idea of establishing a task force focused on housing, and she likes the idea and said, “I’m game.”
Those who want to get on the ground floor of this important effort should contact Ayers directly at 509-581-3943. She said United Way could help facilitate its launch.
Anyone who wants to participate surely would be welcome.
But judging by the great discussions we had with candidates running for office, we think those who didn’t win in this election could put their knowledge and energy to use in a different way.
We encourage them to call Ayers and get the housing conversation started.
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 11:10 AM.