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Seattle Human Services news and events

Grandparents: Love, Culture & History

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Sunday, Sept. 12, is National Grandparents Day—honoring the roles that grandparents play in nurturing and stabilizing families.

In 1978, Congress passed legislation that earmarked the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. The day recognizes that, throughout history, grandparents have played significant roles in families. It is a day to recognize, educate, and celebrate the important contributions grandparents have made throughout history.

Click on the flyer above to register!

This year marks the third annual local Grandparents Day celebration hosted by the Mayor’s Council on African American Elders and Northwest African American Museum (NAAM). Co-sponsors include AARP Seattle, Age Friendly Seattle, Aging and Disability Services, Seattle Human Services Department (HSD), Nu Black Arts West Theatre, and The Evergreen State College/Tacoma.

“Grandparents: Love, Culture & History” will be offered virtually (online) from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and feature a short program and entertainment. Everyone is welcome, free of charge. To receive the event link, register at SurveyMonkey.com/r/GrandparentsDay2021.

The main Grandparents Day presenter is Dr. Marcia Tate Arunga, an educator, activist, author, entrepreneur, and the first-ever dean of the Evergreen State College, Tacoma Campus. In 1982, Arunga moved to Kenya, where she raised four children. She wrote “The Stolen Ones and How They Were Missed,” a children’s book about a girl who was taken from her African home to serve in the slave trade and what happened at the village she was taken from (available through the public library).

The program will also feature the NAAM African American Cultural Ensemble and spoken word poetry by “Nana” Kibibi (Kibibi Monié), director of Nu Black Arts West Theatre, the oldest African American theater company in Washington state.

“Honoring our grandparents is a significant practice in African American culture,” said HSD/Aging and Disability Services planner Karen Winston, who staffs the Mayor’s Council on African American Elders. “Whether through discipline, financial support and/or kinship caregiving, grandparents have always been a vital part of our families and they provide important links to our cultural heritage and family history.”

Following the 2 p.m. program, NAAM and AARP will present an encore program featuring award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes, who will discuss her soon-to-be-released book, Paradise Under Fire, about a teenage girl and her grandmother growing closer together. The 3 p.m. program will air live on NAAM’s YouTube Channel. All are welcome.

Event flyer (PDF): https://bit.ly/3BR0NK0

Event flyer (JPG): https://bit.ly/3A8bN52

HSD Announces Funding Awards to Address Racism and Intolerance Toward the API Community

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The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is pleased to announce the results of the Asian and Pacific Islander Resiliency RFP which closed July 26, 2021.

Young Asian woman in cultural costume in foreground with line of Asian women standing behind her ready to perform
Courtesy: Seattle Municipal Archives, Hing Hay Park expansion and re-opening – March 24 2018

In response to the racism and intolerance toward the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seattle City Council passed Ordinance 126308 which allocated $300,000 in one-time funding to HSD to contract with Community Based Organizations (CBOs)  and volunteer-led grassroots organizations to help support API community resiliency.

This expedited, low-barrier process, started with community conversations in April followed by the release of the Request for Proposal (RFP) in early June. The RFP identified the following desired goals:

  1. People understand racism;
  2. People feel safe;
  3. Communities are supported; and
  4. Communities are unified.

The review committee consisted of 15 members representing diverse perspectives and experiences, including lived experience from the API community. The majority of the committee were community members and others were from other city and county departments, non-profit organizations and retirees affiliated with Aging and Disability Services. Members worked, or previously worked, in various sectors, and/or led their organizations’ equity teams. Some were also current or former board members of API-focused organizations.

HSD received 37 applications totaling $1,438,888 in requested funds. Successful applications clearly aligned proposed activities with the goals of the RFP. Organizations could request up to $50,000 in funding. The application also asked if organizations would like to receive funding if they were not able to receive their full requests; and to identify the minimum amount of funding needed to deliver services proposed in their RFP response. The funding recommendations considered total requests as well as organizations’ minimum requests.

Eight organizations received funding:

  • Kandelia
  • Khmer Community of Seattle King County
  • Massage Parlor Outreach Project
  • South Park Senior Citizens
  • South Seattle Emerald
  • Southwest Youth and Family Services
  • United Communities of Laos
  • UTOPIA (United Territories of Pacific Islanders’ Alliance) Washington

“Khmer Community of Seattle King County is grateful to be selected for funding,” wrote Thyda Ros, their Executive Director. “Since resettlement in the U.S., the Khmer community has experienced many health and access disparities that have gone unrecognized and unaddressed, leaving many of our elders, families, and youth very vulnerable.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic worsened, anti-Asian violence increased, and existing disparities exacerbated, our vulnerable community members have resorted to living in fear in order to survive. This resurgence of survival mode has weakened their ability to stand up for themselves, their families, and neighbors.

Thyda Ros, Khmer Community of Seattle King County Executive Director

“With this funding, we plan to deepen our community engagement through various hands-on and engaging intergenerational activities, as a way to uplift one another, build courage from within, and ultimately realize an empowered Khmer community,” continued Ros.

United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance (UTOPIA) is a queer and trans people of color-led, grassroots organization born out of the struggles, challenges, strength, and resilience of the Queer and Trans Pacific Islander (QTPI – “Q-T-pie”) community in South King County. Funding will support their Talanoa dialogues, incorporating community conversations with a celebration of Pacific Islander culture. It’s a space for Pacific Islanders to feel safe while sharing their struggles and motivating change rooted in their needs.

“When we share our culture, we build understanding, increase visibility and promote safety of Pasifika People,” shared Tepatasi Vaina, Program Director. “When we are safe, we are empowered and our communities thrive.”

Contracts are expected to begin this month. For more information about this RFP, please contact Angela Miyamoto, RFP Coordinator, at Angela.Miyamoto@seattle.gov.

Age Friendly Seattle Adapts to the Virtual Environment

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Virtual Events logo

Age Friendly Seattle has constantly innovated their events to accommodate guests. Prior to the pandemic, they hosted monthly Civic Coffee Hours at downtown locations, including the Seattle Library’s Central Branch. The events educated people of all ages on current happenings and programs serving different needs and emphasized inclusivity. In early 2020, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to orient themselves virtually—something they, and many users, had never done before.

Lenny Orlov, an Age Friendly Seattle Program Coordinator and the host for Age Friendly Seattle’s live and online events, said the events are drastically different than 15 years ago, when they started.

“We often had food—coffee, donuts, or something healthy—to provide in person,” said Orlov. “We devoted half of our time to the presentation and the other half to questions, answers, and feedback. Also, people were able to arrive early and stay later.”

The Coffee Hours started as both “civic participation and social engagement type opportunities,” he continued. “Civic participation continues virtually but … the social aspect was a lot stronger when we met in person.”

The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t stop Age Friendly Seattle from executing monthly meetings to relay helpful information to the public. For Nancy Slote, Older Adults Program Manager at The Seattle Public Library and a recurring guest at the events, providing useful information during these unprecedented times is a key to reaching out to the public.

Screenshot of Nancy Slote, The Seattle Public Library, speaking about the resources available for event viewers at the library

“I think that one of the advantages of the partnership is that the Library and Age Friendly have unique reaches to the public,” Slote said. “The more information we can get out to people, the better.”

Following observation and adaptation, Age Friendly Seattle implemented a second virtual event series in April 2021, called Close to Home: Stories of Health, Tech & Resilience. Close to Home highlights community information. Orlov said the event was intended “for a bigger audience where community leaders and their organizations are showcased alongside of the City’s—we wanted to encourage people to stay home but stay connected and we wanted to keep the community together.”

Throughout their journey, the Age Friendly Seattle team has struggled with accessibility—both hearing access and language access. With limited resources, they couldn’t caption in-person meetings in any language or translate from English to the languages spoken by audience members. Utilizing the tools they had available, Microsoft Teams turned out to be an excellent online resource for auto captions.

“Once we started to reach out to different communities, the events grew,” Orlov mentioned. Age Friendly Seattle received helpful feedback. Now, auto captions are offered in six languages spoken by many of their viewers—English, Russian, Arabic, Vietnamese, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese—and they hope to add more in the future.

Screenshot of Age Friendly Seattle Program Coordinator and virtual events host Lenny Orlov talking about featured guests at an upcoming virtual coffee hour.

Over the past year, the Age Friendly Seattle team found their rhythm and is moving forward with determination. One of Orlov’s key skills—learned as a result of the process—is multitasking.

“Delegating is important because a lot happens at once,” he said. “Early on, I had to do everything, including our Q&A portion.”

Orlov also improved his oral skills. Initially, it was difficult to speak without referring to notes, he said. It took a lot of practice not to sound like he was reading a script.

Slote elaborated on this, saying a key skill that she honed while presenting was imagination. “Pretending that you’re talking to somebody in person helps,” she said. “I try to imagine that somebody’s in front of me. That really helps me to be more relaxed and not too formal.”

The Age Friendly Seattle team overcame technical difficulties along their way but have strived to make their events more inclusive and better each time. They plan to move toward “a hybrid state,” where participants can join in person at multiple locations, such as senior living communities or community centers around the city, once the pandemic ends.

Civic Coffee Hours take place on the third Thursday of each month from 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Pacific Time. Close to Home events take place on the first Thursday of each month (except December) from 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Pacific Time. At event time, visit bit.ly/AgeFriendlyLive and click the blue Join Event Now button. For information on other ways to connect, including by telephone, click the green Get Instructions button.

If you miss the live shows, you can visit Age Friendly Seattle’s YouTube playlists for video recordings of prior events.

*Blog post author Jody Wong was an intern with the Seattle Youth Employment Program this summer. She spent six weeks with HSD’s Communications team learning about blogging, editing reports, and helping to support Age Friendly Seattle virtual events. You might have seen her moderating a question!

Seattle Youth Employment Program’s Impact on the Community and Young Dreams

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2021 has been unlike any other. As we are over a year into a worldwide pandemic, the Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) had to adapt to a hybrid environment as Seattle began to open back up again. Interns, ranging from 16 to 24 years old, gained experience through a variety of different organizations throughout the City for the summer.

From environmental work to media production, I sat down and talked to some interns about their experiences with a couple of this year’s employers.

Multimedia Resources and Training Institute

For Ilham and Ikram, their experience was unlike any other. They both worked closely with their supervisor, Assaye, at the Multimedia Resources and Training Institute (MMRTI) in the Central District. MMRTI is a “non-profit and non-political institute founded by a group of professionals, technologists, educators, parents, and youth in the Greater Seattle Area to prepare the underserved immigrant youth in the community for success in multimedia technology locally, regionally, and globally.” It was conceived in 2004 from a multimedia project sponsored by the Ethiopian Community Mutual Association. Then by combining with Ethio Youth Media (EYM) TV program in 2006, it expanded its service to the larger immigrant youth community reflecting activities and issues that affect young people most. EYM is now continuing its programming and values by teaching young people how to broadcast on TV and become future community leaders. The Ethio Youth Media TV is aired every week on Sunday from 7:00PM- 8:00PM, Wednesday from 5:00PM-6:00PM, and Tuesday 4:00AM-5:00AM on SCAN Cable 77/21.

With the pandemic, the interns have been working in a hybrid state. Along their internship journey, Ilham believes that she gained lots of knowledge, as she primarily focused on filming, editing, and taking photographs.

Screenshot of YouTube video showing title card for documentary on Digital Access at Yesler Terrace and picturing an entrance to the community
Title card for documentary on Digital Access at Yesler Terrace

Ikram was glad to be able to work on creating two documentaries. One is “about the effects of COVID 19 at Yesler Terrace community,” she shared. “The other program I worked on was the digital navigators, a youth-led program that provides resources for digital access to the residence of Yesler Terrace.”

Their supervisor, Assaye Abunie, states that the program is a great opportunity for young adults to get involved. “We need more community engagement and young people are full of knowledge on things like media and technology. It’s good to have them and they’ve been very helpful.” MMRTI plans on continuing to host interns and have young adults have a voice and be representatives for their community.

You can check out the amazing work that these two young interns contributed to on MMRTI’s YouTube channel:

Duwamish Valley Youth Corps

Max, Liam, Sibakhan, Andrew, and An worked with the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps, a program shepherded by the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition. They all initially learned about SYEP through their family members or by a school counselor and didn’t have any prior experience with the program.

With each day varying in different tasks, it provides them a way to stay connected environmentally in their community. They work Monday through Thursday, with Mondays being a job lab day to learn about people who work at different jobs that promote environmentalism. Tuesdays are for restoration work, “like clearing out blackberry bushes and learning more about the site we’re at ,” shared Max. Wednesdays they hear from a guest speaker and complete more restoration work. “And Thursdays are for educational field trips to learn about our environment and what’s changing.”

Group of youth walking up stairs towards the Pacific Science Center with the Space Needle in the background

With a focus on environmentalism and restoration, these interns had a hands-on experience with physical labor in the outdoors. Andrew’s fondest memory was doing aquatic research. “We transferred kelp from one area to another. We did that, and learning to remove invasive species and replanting was cool.”

Sibakhan shared that this experience was an eye-opener and a chance to learn about things they didn’t really know about before. “We were in Georgetown where they got this whole area that’s about building local things and metal art, which I like.”

Because the internships were in a field of interest that the youth chose, they all gained awareness for a possible long-term career in the field. Liam admired the different possible careers that the internship could lead to in the future. “I don’t think this is exactly what I want to pursue,” he said, referring to the physical labor, but he wants to use what he learned from this experience to apply to other jobs. “A future job that we [heard] from people would be like bioengineering and landscape design, which I think fits me more.”

Reflecting back on all the incredible work that the interns contributed, An believes this internship is valuable. “It gave me a lot of information about the environment and how to restore Seattle,” he shared. He also recommends that other youth who are eligible should apply to SYEP because it’s a great opportunity to explore possible career paths and gain new friends.

Youth wearing COVID masks standing around in a circle outside listening to a supervisor speak

Tilth Alliance

Yasin, an intern with Tilth Alliance, joined SYEP to gain experience and make new connections. Working closely with Kerri, his supervisor, he handled multiple different projects ranging from working with the marketing programs at Tilth to the physical work of weighing produce and communicating with customers.

Initially, Yasin wasn’t interested in urban farming or environmentalism as he is majoring in physics, however, he grew an interest in it. Having learned transferable skills, such as communications, organization, and management, he came out of his shell and gained confidence with the assistance of Kerri, motivating him to try new things. “I really enjoy [Yasin’s] perspective,” she said. “It’s kind of fun to see everything through a different set of eyes, which is the best part.”

With Yasin’s skills growing, he accepted an offer to extend his stay as an intern at Tilth Alliance after SYEP ends, so he can continue to support the team with assisting in food management. Tilth Alliance highlights sustainable food produce and educating local communities about food equity all over the Greater Seattle area.

Group of adults and youth standing among trees and bushes
(left to right) Ren (hiding in the bushes), Kerri, Lexa, Coral and then Yasin and DJ. Yasin & DJ are both SYEP interns.

Next Steps for SYEP

The SYEP program is planning to pause during Fall 2021 as it learns from all the change of the last couple of years to refocus on supporting youth careers. Exciting updates are being planned! However, it will be reopening this November for applications for a program starting in Winter 2022. If you’d like to gain a lifetime of experience and explore possible careers, sign up for the notification mailing list now to get updates.

*Blog post author Jody Wong was also an intern with SYEP this summer! She spent six weeks with HSD’s Communications team learning about blogging, editing reports, and supporting Age Friendly Seattle virtual events.

HOPE Team Releases Mid-Year Report

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Q2 data shows the most shelter referrals and enrollments ever recorded by the Human Services Department

Yesterday, the City of Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) submitted its 2021 Statement of Legislative Intent (SLI) report to City Council providing Quarter 1 (Q1) and Quarter 2 (Q2) data outcomes for the city’s homeless outreach coordination team. The results show that in Q2 (April – June) of this year, the HOPE Team referred the most individuals to shelter and had the most confirmed enrollments into shelter ever recorded by City efforts.

“The HOPE Team has made tremendous strides standing up this new model and approach to supporting those living unsheltered in Seattle,” Tess Colby, HSD’s Interim Deputy Director on Homelessness, writes in the report. “Their collaborative efforts with outreach and shelter providers, City departments and community, have resulted in hundreds of people moving from encampments to safer spaces and on a pathway to ending their experience of homelessness.”

HOPE Team Background

Included as part of the 2021 budget, the eight-person HOPE Team changed HSD’s role to coordinating outreach to those experiencing homelessness in Seattle. Unlike the previous Navigation Team, HSD no longer leads encampment trash and debris mitigation efforts or encampment removal operations. Encampments in public rights of way, parks, and sidewalks are now prioritized by the departments that own or are responsible for the impacted properties.

The HOPE Team’s focus is two-fold:

  • Coordinate outreach in partnership with contracted providers to support people living unsheltered across the city, including managing the referral process into City-funded “set-aside” shelter resources
  • Ensure that individuals at encampments prioritized for removal by a property-owning department (i.e., Seattle Parks & Recreation, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle City Light, etc.) receive an offer of shelter by the HOPE Team or its outreach partners, with the goal of helping all those residing onsite into safer shelter spaces

“They are doing the work over the course of weeks in some cases to really identify the individuals on site, identify their needs and then make appropriate connections to available shelter,” said Kevin Mundt, the HSD strategic advisor overseeing the HOPE Team.

Chart showing HOPE Team 2021 shelter referrals by month and shelter type

Quarter 2 Outreach Outcomes  

In Q2, the HOPE Team made 432 referrals to shelter, the most recorded by HSD since tracking of this data began in Q4 2018. This was a 132% increase over Q1 2021 referrals, and were made based on 1,097 shelter recommendations from 17 different provider partners. Of these referrals, 95% were to 24/7 enhanced shelter or tiny houses which provide wraparound onsite services including case management, and housing navigation, to help end a person’s experience with homelessness.

The increase in recommendations and referrals reflects the availability of two new temporary hotel-based shelters that opened at the end of Q1 which added almost 200 hotel rooms to the City’s shelter system capacity and represented 49% of the shelter referrals from the HOPE Team in Q2.

Unduplicated enrollments into shelter also reached an all-time recorded high in Q2 with 214 individuals identified as enrolling into shelter at an enrollment rate of 52.1%, also an all-time recorded high. Note, tracking enrollments has been historically difficult as it requires comparing data collected by the HOPE Team and the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)—which are differing data sets. For instance, 24% of all HMIS shelter enrollments did not include a name, making it impossible to match them to any HOPE Team data. These challenges in tracking enrollments through HMIS are one of the data quality and metrics efforts that have been presented to King County Regional Homelessness Authority as an opportunity for re-design in the future.

Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center was used as a temporary cooling shelter

The HOPE Team was part of HSD’s response to the record breaking heat at the end of June, performing wellness checks, handing out water and other basic needs supplies, passing out flyers about the available cooling shelters and services, and offering transportation to cooling center locations. This work was done in coordination with Heath One and other City department partners.

Quarter 1 Outreach Outcomes

In Q1, during its first months of operation, the HOPE Team made 186 referrals to available shelter spaces based on 433 shelter recommendations from 16 different outreach providers. Of these referrals, 94% were to enhanced shelter or tiny homes, including to the new hotel-based shelters that opened at the end of March, or tiny house villages. There were 79 confirmed enrollments in Q1 at a rate of 45.7%, the second highest enrollment rate recorded ever recorded by HSD.

In February, the HOPE Team led emergency outreach efforts during Seattle’s record breaking snow fall. In partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation, the Team made wellness checks, provided people with winter supplies, and transported individuals experiencing homelessness to temporary emergency shelters. Following the closure of the temporary emergency shelters, the HOPE Team, in partnership with HSD’s Homelessness Strategies and Investments (HSI) division and outreach and shelter providers, helped coordinate efforts to refer 83 individuals into shelter and hotel placements.

“This isn’t the end of the story,” Mundt said. “There’s a lot of work to be done. There’s a lot of need, but this is progress.”

To view more Quarterly Data Metrics, visit the Homelessness Response blog or download the SLI report.

HSD Focuses on Vulnerable Populations in Preparation for Forecasted Extreme Heat

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The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for the Seattle area due to forecasted high temperatures above 90 degrees. The warming trend will continue through Saturday night.

The City of Seattle is working together with our regional partners to prepare for these extreme temperatures including monitoring critical infrastructure like power systems, water systems, roadways, and bridges. In addition, the City of Seattle is monitoring the potential for moderate to unhealthy air quality levels through Saturday.

A press release sent out Tuesday by the Mayor’s Office highlighted cooling centers and pools available across the city, and outreach teams are on the ground working with our most vulnerable residents to prevent heat illness in these extreme conditions. You can find a map of locations here.

Heat Safety

We encourage everyone in Seattle to take extreme heat seriously and act with caution over the next few days. Public Health—Seattle & King County (PHSKC) recommends taking simple steps to help prevent heat related illness and death:

  • Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water before you feel thirsty.
  • Keep your home cooler by shutting blinds or drawing curtains. Use fans or air-conditioners, if you have one.
  • Check on your neighbors, friends, and family in the area—particularly seniors and people with medical conditions—to ensure they are not suffering heat illness at home. Cooling centers are available.
  • Avoid outdoor activities if possible during the heat of the day, generally from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM.
  • Never leave children or pets in a vehicle. Temperatures inside of cars can skyrocket to deadly levels quickly during extreme heat.
  • Use life jackets or other flotation devices on the water to prevent drowning.
Graphic advises people how to stay cool in the heat: Find a cool or air-conditioned place to stay, or visit one of our Seattle cooling centers. Stay hydrated. Drink water before you're thirsty. Avoid outdoor activities during the heat of the day (9am - 6pm). Never leave children or pets in a vehicle. Check on friends, family, and neighbors.

Seattle Center

Seattle Center Armory is open to the public and is equipped with air conditioning and filtration. View the campus map PDF.  

  • Seattle Center Armory Food & Event Hall, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM daily  
  • International Fountain, 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM daily

Senior Centers

Please call ahead to confirm hours and availability. All sites have air-conditioning unless noted.

  • Central Area Senior Center (500 30th Ave S), Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM and Sunday, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM; 206-726-4926
  • Greenwood Senior Center (525 N 85th St), Monday – Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM and Saturday 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM; Dogs Permitted; 206-297-0875
  • Pike Market Senior Center (85 Pike St, Suite 200), Thursday, August 12 – Friday, August 13, 8:20 AM – 6:00 PM NEW EXTENDED HOURS; Monday – Sunday, 8:20 AM – 2:00 PM (regular hours); Pets Permitted; 206-728-2773
  • Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon St), Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM; Pets Permitted; 206-932-4044
  • Southeast Seattle Senior Center (4655 South Holly St), Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM; 206-722-0317
  • Wallingford Community Senior Center (4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Suite 140), Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Pets Permitted; 206-461-7825: Note – this location does not have air conditioning

Day Centers for People Experiencing Homelessness

The following day center locations for people experiencing homelessness are open to the public (with some restrictions), accept pets, and have air-conditioning:

  • Community Drop-In Center – Seattle Indian Center (1265 S Main St suite 105), Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • The Salvation Army Jefferson Day Center (4th & Jefferson), Wednesday, August 11 – Friday, August 13, 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM EXTENDED HOURS; Monday – Sunday, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM (regular hours)
  • Urban Rest Stop – Ballard (2014-B NW 57th St), Monday – Friday, 6:30 AM – 1:30 PM
  • Urban Rest Stop – Downtown (1924 Ninth Avenue), Monday – Friday from 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM and Saturday – Sunday from 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
  • Orion Center (1828 Yale Ave), Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 3:30 PM – 7:00 PM and Saturday from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM; Youth only (ages 12 to 24)
  • Mary’s Place Day Center (1831 Ninth Ave), Monday – Friday from 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM; Women or Women with Children only

Outreach to People Experiencing Homelessness

HSD’s HOPE Team is coordinating outreach efforts with its provider partners to support those living unsheltered during the heat wave. Similar to the heat response in June, the HOPE Team will be distributing water and basic needs supplies and have transportation resources available to cooling center locations. The HOPE Team is also coordinating outreach efforts with its City department partners, including Health One and Seattle Parks and Recreation. Health One will have unit(s) in operation Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and will be adequately equipped with water and other heat-related supplies.

HSD is monitoring the forecast and making preparations, in partnership with Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), King County, and PHSKC, in case a temporary cooling shelter is activated this week. There are multiple factors that may be weighed in determining when to activate emergency cooling centers/shelters, and may include, but are not limited to: potential for excessive heat and/or temperatures above 95 degrees, length of a hot weather event, an emergency public health declaration, advisory from National Weather Service, and if temperatures remain high overnight.

Outreach to Vulnerable Populations

HSD’s Aging and Disability Services (ADS) case managers and contractors are making calls to their most vulnerable clients—those who live alone and receive in-home services for complex health needs. Fans were made available to clients who needed one. Staff have reached out to Seattle Housing Authority management regarding heat.

Older people, adults with disabilities, and caregivers who need assistance should contact Community Living Connections (toll-free 844-348-5464) for professional, confidential information and resources, free of charge (funded by HSD/ADS).

Three New Tiny House Village Projects to Offer Even More Spaces

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Today, the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) provided an update to City Council’s Select Committee on Homelessness Strategies and Investments on three tiny house village projects that were previously anticipated to open this summer, as well as on hundreds of other shelter spaces in the pipeline for 2021.

The three tiny house projects combined are now expected to provide 120 tiny houses and provide shelter for up to 145 individuals with expected openings in September or October. The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) will operate all three villages, providing wraparound onsite services that will help a person end their experience with homelessness.

Friendship Heights Tiny House Village, located in North Seattle, will provide 50 tiny houses and is expected to open in mid-October after the demolition of existing structures on the property. LIHI owns the property and has completed an MOU with a religious sponsor for the site.

Rosie’s Tiny House Village in the University District will provide 36 new units. Pending a lease agreement between the City and Sound Transit, the property owner, the village could open as early as late September. Due to the size of the site, it will be necessary to seek legislative approval once an agreement on the lease is reached. HSD will be transmitting this legislation to the City Council for consideration and approval for the City to execute the lease. The State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review of the site has been completed.

Port Commissioner Peter Steinbrueck stands in the community garden with a resident of the Interbay Tiny House Village. Photo Credit: LIHI

The existing Interbay Tiny House Village will expand and add 34 units. This partnership with the Port of Seattle has been ongoing since November 2017. Similar to Rosie’s, due to the size of the expansion project, it will require legislative approval from City Council for the lease to be signed. HSD and Finance and Administrative Services will submit this legislation to Council in August for consideration. The SEPA process is underway.

The Human Services Department appreciates the support and collaboration from its City department partners and from Sound Transit and Port of Seattle on these projects.

Area Agency on Aging for Seattle-King County Wins Top National Award

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Aging and Disability Services (ADS), a division of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) that serves as the Area Agency on Aging for Seattle and King County, received two awards from the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) at a virtual awards program on July 20—one of them the top Innovation Award winner for 2021.

Cover of awards book for n4a Aging Innovations & Achievement Awards

ADS’ Community Living Connections Collaborative Funding Process initially received one of 15 n4a Aging Innovations Awards. The Aging Innovations Award is n4a’s highest award category. During the conference general session that followed, HSD/ADS was announced as the top Innovation Award winner for 2021 and the recipient of a $2,500 prize.

Age Friendly Live—live and online events coordinated by the Age Friendly Seattle team at ADS—received one of 21 n4a Aging Achievement Awards announced at the conference.

The 2021 n4a Aging Innovations and Achievement Awards recognize AAAs and Title VI Native American Aging Programs that develop and implement cutting-edge approaches to support older adults, people with disabilities and their family caregivers. Among the selection criteria was the ease with which other agencies could replicate the program in their communities. N4a published program descriptions in its 2021 Awards Book.

Per the n4a media release, “With service gaps, no additional money to bring new providers on board and a need for an even stronger focus on meeting the Seattle Human Services Department, Aging and Disability Services’ (ADS) racial equity goals, ADS devised the Collaborative Funding Process. The Collaborative Funding Process is a new approach that enables community-based agencies to determine how they will collectively deliver services. Unlike a traditional funding process where the AAA or, in this agency’s case, a panel, makes funding recommendations, collaborative funding means agencies work together to decide funding allocations and service expectations. Over seven months, participating agencies met with a racial equity consultant as they identified funding and service delivery levels for each network provider agency.”

“The 2018–2019 Collaborative Funding Process resulted in over $3.7 million in 19 provider contracts that began in January 2020, including contracts with five new providers,” said Mary Mitchell, interim Aging and Disability Services division director. “Collaboration enabled the network to support new agencies serving LGBTQ and south Asian elders and African American caregivers without adding more money. The network also gained greater capacity to serve south county residents, where needs are greatest; offered improved access to transportation services; and improved network communication overall.”

Age Friendly Live comprises two ongoing online event series—Civic Coffee Hours and Close to Home—and other events designed to reduce social isolation and increase opportunities for civic participation among older people. According to the Age Friendly Seattle 2020 Annual Report, more than 6,400 people participated in Age Friendly Live events or viewed them later on the ADS YouTube channel last year.

“Over the past two years, through intentional outreach to immigrants and refugees, simultaneous interpretation during in-person events, and online event streaming with auto-captioning in a choice of world languages, we saw exponential growth in the number of participants,” said Mitchell. “In 2019, staff intentionally sought out immigrant and refugee older adults, starting with outreach to Russian- and Amharic-speaking communities, and arranged for simultaneous translation during in-person events (with interpreters speaking into a transmitter and guests wearing headphones ADS). Later that year, ADS received requests for interpretation in Khmer and Vietnamese as well. When audiences began to exceed room capacity, staff reached out to The Seattle Public Library, which joined us as a co-sponsor, made larger meeting spaces available, and increased outreach to older Seattle residents.”

“Then, COVID-19 stay-at-home orders presented an additional challenge,” Mitchell said. “How could we offer online events that supported our multicultural audience? Staff studied options for live streaming in multiple languages as well as captioning for people who are hard of hearing. They selected Microsoft Teams Live—a webinar platform that provides captioning in multiple languages and retains language choice in video recordings.”

“We also recognized the risk of social isolation during the pandemic, so staff created Close to Home: Stories of Health, Tech & Resilience, a second series intended to reach older people who were confined at home,” said Mitchell. “Every program included local COVID information and public library resources as well as Community Living Connections services that we fund. Once we return to in-person events, we expect to offer a choice between in-person attendance and online viewing.”

To ease online program access for individuals who are uneasy about joining online events, Age Friendly Seattle promotes a single web link. Each program is promoted through e-mail and social media, emphasizing language access. A phone option is available for people without Internet and Seattle Channel TV now broadcasts recordings in the weeks that follow.

Earlier this year, Age Friendly Seattle received an American Society on Aging Award for Excellence in Multicultural Aging in recognition of their intentional outreach to immigrant elders.

For information about upcoming Age Friendly Live events and links to past programs, visit seattle.gov/agefriendly/events.

Need aging or disability resources? To access local services, call Community Living Connections at (toll-free) 844-348-5464. Calls are confidential and free of charge.

HSD prepares its wildfire smoke response to support people experiencing homelessness

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**This article was also cross-posted to the Homelessness Response Blog

In addition to the incredible challenges our City has faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our region has seen an increase in extreme weather events over the past year due to climate change, such as record-breaking snow fall in February, all-time record-breaking heat last month, and the severe drought we are currently experiencing across our state.

The rising temperatures and dry conditions this spring and summer have contributed to a significant threat of wildfires along the West Coast and an earlier wildfire season than typical. These conditions also make Seattle more susceptible to the harsh impacts of wildfire smoke on the air we breathe.

In preparation for a potential poor air quality event this wildfire season, the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is engaged in planning, in partnership with Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Public Health—Seattle & King County (PHSKC), to support those living unsheltered by opening up cleaner air shelters if the need arises.

HSD’s response to wildfire smoke falls under our “Inclement Weather” planning, which encompasses response work to support vulnerable communities during severe weather/climate events, including snow, cold temperatures, excessive heat, and poor air quality such as impacts from wildfire smoke.

In case of a poor air quality event, HSD has identified temporary shelter locations, such as Fisher Pavilion and Exhibition Hall at Seattle Center, and other locations outside the downtown core, which have the air filtration systems necessary to comply with both smoke and COVID-19 public health protocols, which narrows the number of appropriate facilities to utilize as cleaner-air shelters.

The City contracts with The Salvation Army to operate inclement weather shelters, including cleaner air shelters, although provider capacity remains a challenge throughout our shelter system and can impact the number of sites and emergency shelter capacity.

HSD’s HOPE Team is also capable of being activated in response to a poor air quality event, as well as other severe weather—including winter storms and excessive heat. This outreach may include performing wellness checks, handing out water and other basic needs supplies, sharing information on temporary shelter/day center locations, and providing transportation to shelters. This outreach is done in coordination with City-contracted outreach providers, Health One, and other City Department partners.

Last September, during the dual crisis of COVID-19 and wildfire smoke, HSD (in partnership with PHSKC and The Salvation Army) opened a 24-hour smoke relief shelter for five consecutive days in SoDo with capacity for 100 individuals. Highlighting the challenges of opening emergency shelters during COVID-19, there was a COVID-19 exposure at this shelter despite Public Health COVID-19 safety protocols in place.

Efforts last year to open additional cleaner air spaces were restricted due to provider capacity, the need for additional COVID-19 safety protocols, and potential cleaner air shelter spaces being utilized as COVID-19 de-intensification shelters.

With recent investments in enhanced shelter, such as the new Kings Inn and Executive Hotel Pacific hotel-based shelters, the City currently funds over 2,400 shelter spaces—almost 400 more spaces compared to Q4 2020—with 91% of those spaces being enhanced shelter or tiny houses, which provide 24/7 access and wraparound onsite services. This compares to 77% in Q4 2020.

Local Aging Services: Comment Now on Four-Year Plan Update

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Aging and Disability Services (ADS), a division of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) that serves as the Area Agency on Aging for Seattle and King County, monitors trends and issues affecting older people and adults with disabilities in King County. Every four years, ADS and more than 600 other Area Agencies on Aging throughout the United States develop an Area Plan that charts the course each agency will follow to address emerging needs, while also working to create age-friendly communities.

Cover of ADS Area Plan 2020-2023 for Seattle and King County

The current Area Plan (2020–2023) describes the function of ADS, presents relevant demographic trends for King County, and outlines major goals and objectives for addressing trends, issues, and needs.

Area Agencies on Aging also prepare a biennial Area Plan Update. It is an opportunity to hear from community members and network providers—mid-cycle—and reflect changing trends impacting older adults and people with disabilities. Existing goals and objectives have been re-examined and new goals and objectives have been developed.

“Two years ago, no one predicted that we would experience a worldwide pandemic,” said Mary Mitchell, interim ADS director. “The draft Area Plan Update includes a summary of how the local Aging Network has worked together to provide services and supports and includes COVID-19 recovery goals and objectives for the next two years, with special emphasis on older people, adults with disabilities, and caregivers in BIPOC communities.”

The draft Area Plan Update for 2022–2023 is available online at agingkingcounty.org/area-plan now through August 2. ADS invites public comment via e-mail and/or a public hearing scheduled at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, August 2, 2021. The public comment period will close at the end of the day, August 2.

To sign up for public comment, visit surveymonkey.com/r/August2AreaPlanHearing. To send written comment, e-mail Karen.Winston@seattle.gov.

Following the public hearing, final edits will be made to the draft Area Plan Update and approved by the ADS Advisory Council and key partners. The Update will be submitted to the State Unit on Aging (part of the DSHS Aging and Long-Term Support Administration) on October 5. Following state approval in early 2022, the final Update will be posted online.

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The Seattle Human Services Department’s Aging and Disability Services division has served as the Area Agency on Aging for Seattle and King County since 1973. Through the lens of racial equity, ADS supports programs, initiatives, and policies that promote healthy aging and public health, two of HSD’s six investment impact areas. 

Need aging or disability resources? To access local services, call Community Living Connections at (toll-free) 844-348-5464. Calls are confidential and free of charge.