We love the Methow Valley, but the housing crisis is hammering our people and families from all directions.  The cost of housing has become so high that most of us who make this valley a home, even those of us who have lived here for decades, have no shot at an affordable place to live; from childcare providers, to business owners and baristas, all of us are losing ground. 

There is no way we can compete with millionaires for a house, especially when our wages have barely gone up in a decade. We can't keep asking our struggling small businesses to "just pay their people more," we need to take on the housing problem head-on so all of us can thrive.

We are coming together to tip the scales towards those who make this valley work. 

Join us in signing and sharing this Call for Action to our representatives. We want them to know what representing us looks like in this moment, and to know we’ve got their back if they stand for people over profits.

I’m standing with #wemethow and calling on my representatives to….

1. Show me you understand the urgency of the housing crisis: hold a town hall, put housing on your agenda and keep it there, show up in our community
2. Look for ways to tax 2nd homeowners who are here less than 50% of the year so they can contribute to the housing solution
3. Move forward policies that prevent short-term rentals from competing with housing for working people and families
4. Relentlessly pursue opportunities to develop more safe and affordable local housing
5. Show real support for policies that protect long-term housing for working- and middle-class people
6. Stand with working families over the rich and powerful

The housing dynamic is complicated, and we know many leaders are working hard on our behalf. But it’s also true that representatives often stand for profits over people --we know the voice of corporations, big landlords, banks, and developers is louder than the voice of working people.  We don’t expect immediate fixes to this problem, but we do expect that our representatives dig in and do the hard work to ensure there is a level playing field when it comes to housing opportunities.

We're aiming for 1000 signatures. Follow this move and more on Methow Valley Housing Perseverance Facebook and Instagram