I’m a queer and nonbinary nontraditional undergraduate student at Washington State University (WSU) running for Pullman City Council, specifically Ward 2! I moved to Pullman in 2022 and have since fallen in love with this community and my boyfriend who I met here!
Before moving here, I worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in Spokane County and in wildland firefighting during the summers. In the city of Spokane, I helped treat the fallout of an oppressive system, and in the remote forests of Washington and Idaho, I helped protect the natural beauty of our region.
I hope to bring an intersectional understanding to policy, a familiarity with academia, and an environmentally friendly focus. In the city council, I hope to continue representing the student voice and the working-class voice, as my predecessor Carla De Lira did.
Hi, I’m Didi Lubash!
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Our county produces an abundance of food, yet our city struggles to feed its residents. Currently, we have a food bank at the Community Action Center near Walmart, but it is not conveniently located for many residents, especially those living in Apartment Land. There is no ordinance in place to mandate food donations from our supermarkets. The WSU food pantry had to negotiate with Walmart to receive donations of end-of-life products instead of them being discarded.
My plan includes collaborating with the Palouse Mutual Aid Network and the Cougs Feeding Cougs Food Pantry Advisory Board to address these issues. Together, we can work towards establishing a new food bank in Apartment Land or relocating the existing one to make it more accessible. Additionally, we will implement policies that ensure our supermarkets contribute to reducing food waste and insecurity.
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When the city's gas line broke in November 2023, thousands of homes were left without heat during one of the coldest months. The city directed affected residents to WSU because we no longer have city centers to accommodate them. Additionally, when the water supply was disrupted on College Hill, some apartments remained without water for three weeks, leaving tenants with no legal recourse or financial means to move suddenly.
The transient nature of our student population can lead to toxic relationships between landlords and tenants. Tenants are often expected to move out before repairs are made, and landlords can set high prices assuming students have financial support from parents, loans, or scholarships. This situation disproportionately affects full-time residents who do not own homes and students without financial support.
To address these issues, I plan to work with the Palouse Mutual Aid Network to unionize tenants and ensure that Washington state's protective tenant laws are upheld. By empowering tenants, we can create a more equitable housing environment for all residents.
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I am running for Ward 2, known as "Apartment Land." The bus route serving this area became less efficient during construction in the summer of 2024 and did not revert to its original route afterward. The new route is slower, less convenient, and less accessible for most passengers. We need to hire more bus drivers and improve the overall functionality of our bus system.
Even before the construction disrupted the bus route, the system was deteriorating. Buses became less frequent, multiple lines were discontinued, and access to major employers like Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) and the WSU campus became more challenging. Additionally, employees at SEL face significant challenges with public transit, which affects a large portion of the working-class jobs in the city. My plan includes hiring more bus drivers and improving the overall efficiency and accessibility of our public transportation system to better serve all residents, including those working at SEL.
