Legislators in Washington sink their teeth into pandemic-era issues for schools By Dahlia Bazzaz, The Seattle Times
Published: January 25, 2021, 8:16am
Share: The Capitol Building in Olympia. (iStock.com)
As they launched into their full-fledged pandemic legislative session earlier this month, lawmakers in Washington state had no shortage of education issues to sort through.
More than 60 bills related to K-12 schools are in the works already, including proposals to maximize the role of school counselors, change truancy policies and reopen school buildings. Heading into the session, lawmakers and state executives said their priorities would be focusing on supporting student mental health, granting financial flexibility to school districts and expanding access to the internet.
Bellevue Chamber CEO: Amazon housing initiative puts issue in focus - Puget Sound Business Journal bizjournals.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bizjournals.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Are we supposed to be grateful for a little tax-deductible charity from our corporate overlords? Sorry, no.
by
Employees walk through a lobby at Amazon s headquarters in Seattle, in 2018. Amazon has announced $2 billion in loans and grants to secure affordable housing in three U.S. cities, including a Seattle suburb where the online retail giant employs at least 5,000 workers. Amazon said it would give $185.5 million to the King County Housing Authority to help buy affordable apartments in the region and keep the rents low. (Elaine Thompson/AP)
Earlier this month, Amazon pledged $2 billion for affordable housing near hub cities Arlington, Virginia; Nashville; and Seattle. If you missed the news, you can be forgiven; arriving Jan. 6, it was quickly upstaged by images of legislators ducking for cover as Trumpies decked out in MAGA schwag, baffling costumery and Confederate flags stormed the halls of Congress. If Amazon’s PR department was hoping for a swell of public gratitude,
Amazon Launches $2 Billion Housing Fund to Make 20,000 Affordable Homes Available for Working Families in 3 Cities
Jan 16, 2021
Amazon this month unveiled a new Housing Equity Fund, investing more than $2 billion to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable housing units in three communities where the company has thousands of employees Washington State’s Puget Sound; Arlington, Virginia; and Nashville, Tennessee.
Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund will help preserve existing housing and help create housing developments through below-market loans and grants to housing partners, public agencies, and minority-led organizations.
The Fund seeks to “ensure that moderate- to low-income families can afford housing in resource-rich communities with easy access to neighborhood services, amenities, and jobs,” according to a news release.