Port Townsend Deputy Mayor and AWC Board Member Amy Howard brings empathy to public office, addressing homelessness in the city that got her back on her feet.
Interview by Jennifer Krazit
How did you end up in Port Townsend?
I had a really rough childhood. I was homeless on the streets of Seattle at the age of 18 and ended up in Port Townsend. As I was trying to get clean, I began working at a nonprofit, youth-run coffee shop. I ended up working at that agency for 18 years, starting as a volunteer and ending as the executive director.
Port Townsend Deputy Mayor Amy Howard (Photo by Chona Kasinger)
Now you’re the volunteer engagement manager at Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County. How did you get involved in that organization?
I do this work because it makes me feel like I’m doing something good for my community. After my experience overcoming homelessness and substance abuse, I feel a debt of gratitude toward Port Townsend because it sort of saved my life. I feel like I should do the best I can to make sure that Habitat has a successful future here.
What inspired you to run for public office?
When I was asked to run for city council, I had to fight a serious bout of imposter syndrome. I thought “Why me?” Then I figured out that there were a lot of good reasons why it should be me. I was already engaged in the community. And I was part of a demographic that needed to be represented at city council: I was working, not retired; I was a renter; I was previously homeless. There were some perspectives that I felt I could bring.
How has your background influenced your role on city council?
I felt like bringing empathy to government was really import-ant, and making it known that city council members are com-munity members. We live and work in the community with you. We are not a separate, elite body. I have to live with all of the decisions that city council makes. They impact me personally and directly.
Mayor Howard on the steps of the Jefferson Museum of Art & History, housed in Port Townsend's original 1892 City Hall. (Photo by Chona Kasinger)
When did you first get involved with AWC?
I went to a conference in 2018 because I was feeling under-informed in my role. People were so welcoming and engaging that I thought, “OK, this is a fire hose of information that I can handle.” The main thing was the camaraderie with other people in the same position—learning how they’re dealing with things in their city and seeing the issues we share. You realize you’re not alone in trying to figure it out.
You’ve been an AWC board member for about five years. What are your priorities in that role?
In the same way that I want to bring empathy to government, I want to foster empathy and compassion within AWC. For newly elected officials, this can be a lonely road. The only people who really understand the position are the people who are sitting at that bench with you, and there are things you can’t talk to them about because of quorum and open public meetings regulations. So being able to have connections in the elected community—and with people from across the state—is important. We build stronger coalitions that way, and it makes the whole state of Washington better when our nonpartisan elected officials can talk to each other.
Given your personal experience and your day job, homelessness is an important issue for you. How is Port Townsend working to address that problem?
Affordable housing is a huge problem in Port Townsend, and it was before I joined city council. Moving at the speed of government is always a factor. But even when you make what you think is going to be the perfect code change or the perfect zoning update, it takes a while for those things to gain traction, which is very frustrating for everybody. One important thing is listening to your community about the kinds of changes that are needed.
For example, several years ago, we put in place a multi-family tax exemption that is now allowed by the state of Washington, and literally nobody has taken advantage of it in Port Townsend. It wasn’t the right tool for our community, but we made changes to our cottage development code and to our design review process, and those changes were used almost immediately by builders in our community.
Port Townsend Deputy Mayor Amy Howard pays it forward by saving the city that saved her life. (Photo by Chona Kasinger)
You are active on social media. How has that helped you as a leader?
It’s where people are talking about things. If we don’t meet people where they’re talking about things, that lets the rumor mill run wild. As an elected official, I do have to be mindful of when something I post is going to be a public record, which means I take a lot of screenshots. But people don’t always trust the city, and I find that they are more likely to trust me as a person than the city as an entity. Social media is a good place to clear up misconceptions and explain to people the why behind things the city is doing.
How can other elected officials do better with social media?
People are scared of social media because of the onerous records requirements. But being afraid of it isn’t doing anybody any good. Just be clear about the parameters of who’s posting and make sure they have the correct information. You’re going to get people who don’t agree with you, and they’re going to be loud. Your job is not to convince them of anything. It is just to reply with facts. But keep in mind that you’re also speaking to the person who’s reading the post and not engaging in the conversation.
