Submitted by
Carol Colleran.
At the first County Council meeting of the year January 5, 2021, the Petition to Pierce County Council Regarding Funding for Low-income Housing, sponsored by St. Leo Catholic Social Justice Commission and church, was presented. It was signed by over 300 citizens of Pierce County in support of the Council passing of a 1/10
th of 1% sales tax to supply much needed funds for housing and support services for the people experiencing homelessness.
It is currently estimated that there are 6,000 people who nightly do not have housing in Pierce County, with approximately 12,000 over any 12-month period. With money raised by this tax, the county could leverage federal and philanthropic funds and involve nonprofit housing developers to build housing attainable for residents at low-income levels. It is likely there would be a net gain of revenue to the county as people with stable housing are healthier and can be stable employees and contributing citizens.