Human Interests Blog Human Services

Human Interests

Seattle Human Services news and events

Benu Community Home and Friendship Heights Tiny House Village Open

by

The City of Seattle has opened over 350 new units of non-congregate shelter over the last three months

Today, the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) announced the opening of two new shelters for people experiencing homelessness, Benu Community Home, a 24/7 enhanced shelter, and Friendship Heights Tiny House Village. Together, they are anticipated to serve over 200 people experiencing homelessness providing wraparound onsite services and a pathway to permanent housing. These projects continue the recent surge in investments by the City to provide safe spaces for hundreds of people living unsheltered during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and as winter approaches.

Benu Community Home

Benu Community Home, located at the former Keiro Rehabilitation and Care Center (1607 Yesler Way), will be operated by Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) and will serve up to 150 male-identifying adults once fully operational in the first quarter of 2022. The program is 24/7 and will provide onsite wraparound services including case management, behavioral health supports, substance use disorder supports, housing navigation, and employment assistance.

Guest room configurations are single, double, triple, and quad, and are equipped with locker storage space, a bathroom that includes toilet and sink, and a multi-stall shower room on resident floors. The facility is ADA-accessible, and three meals are provided daily.

  • Bedroom
  • Sitting area
Photos of Benu Community Home living spaces provided by Africatown Community Land Trust

Through culturally appropriate services, the program aims to address the over-representation of people identifying as Black or African American in the homelessness system. According to the 2020 Point in Time Count, while those who are Black or African American make up 7% of King County’s population, they represent 25% of those experiencing homelessness. Referrals into the program will be accepted from HSD’s HOPE Team and other providers.  

In September, ACLT led a three-part community engagement meeting process with interested stakeholders and neighbors designed to incorporate feedback from community, including the Japanese American and Asian communities, into the design of the program. Community engagement activities by ACLT and the City also included community meetings and the distribution of flyers on the program to neighbors and nearby businesses. 

Friendship Heights Tiny House Village 

The new Friendship Heights Tiny House Village is located at 12245 Aurora Ave. N. on property owned by the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) and will provide 47 new tiny houses. LIHI has established a religious sponsorship for the program with Epic Life Church and Seattle Foursquare Church.

  • Volunteers from BARN (Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network)
  • Row of tiny houses
Photos of Friendship Heights Tiny House Village provided by LIHI

This is the final of three tiny house village projects approved as part of the 2021 budget to come online within the last two months and provide a total of 113 new village shelter units. Last month, Rosie’s Tiny House Village in the University District opened providing 36 new tiny houses that can serve up to 50 people experiencing homelessness. On November 16, the expansion of the existing Interbay Tiny House Village was completed providing 30 new units and bringing the total number of tiny houses at Interbay to 70. 

Shelter referrals into Friendship Heights will be made by HSD’s HOPE Team based on shelter recommendations from their outreach provider partners. A Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will be formed to provide community input on operations and address concerns. The CAC will meet monthly, and members often include immediate neighbors, businesses, community and faith groups, and service providers.  

HSD will maintain oversight of these two programs through the end of the year. Beginning in 2022, the new King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) will take on administration of their budgets and contracts. The City opened its first tiny house village in 2017 and now funds ten villages providing 410 units of shelter.

By the end of the year, the City-funded system is anticipated to include 2,837 units of shelter, an increase of over 530 beds over pre-pandemic levels (Q4 2019).

**This post was originally published on the Homelessness Response blog.

2021 African American Caregivers Forum: Caregiving Around the Clock

by

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Irene Stewart – irene.stewart@seattle.gov

Banner graphic for African American Caregivers Forum Legacy of Love showing an older Black man embracing an older Black woman

The Legacy of Love African American Caregiver Forum—an annual event during National Family Caregivers Month—is a unique, culturally focused event that draws family caregivers from throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The 2021 African American Caregiver Forum will occur online on Saturday, November 13, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. Register at www.surveymonkey.com/r/2021LegacyOfLove. Registration is free and all are welcome.

“Every day, family caregivers face emotional and physical stress, lost income and financial strain, and feelings of isolation,” said Karen Winston, a senior planner at Aging and Disability Services, who coordinates the event. “Community surveys indicate that BIPOC and LGBTQ caregivers have difficulty accessing healthcare, financial, and legal support for their loved ones. The Legacy of Love caregiver forum provides a wonderful balance of inspiration, tips, and tools for family caregivers.”

Photo of LueRachelle Brim-Atkins
LueRachelle Brim-Atkins, founder and principal consultant of Brim-Donahoe & Associates and partner in The Diversity Collaborative

The keynote presenter at this year’s forum is LueRachelle Brim-Atkins (pictured above), founder and principal consultant of Brim-Donahoe & Associates and partner in The Diversity Collaborative, who provided dementia care for her mother.

A highlight of the forum each year is a panel of local caregivers who will share stories from their caregiving journeys. This year’s panel comprises Theresa Gossett, Pammyla Hubbard, and Stephen LaBoo. Discussion will be facilitated by Margaret Boddie, long-time program manager with the African American Elders Program, administered by Catholic Community Services.

Takeaways include tips for finding humor in everyday situations and celebrating the moments that touch your heart; tips for including loved ones in social activities with friends and family; tips for connecting with other caregivers; tips for getting your affairs in order and preparing for end-of-life; and resources for family caregivers throughout the region.

The African American Caregivers forum is co-sponsored By AARP Washington, African American Elders Program, Age Friendly Seattle, Aging and Disability Services, Catholic Community Services, Mayor’s Council on African American Elders, Compassionate Legal Care PLLC, Seattle Human Services Department, and Sound Generations.

For more information, visit agingkingcounty.org/legacyoflove.

Event flyer (PDF): https://bit.ly/3ix1Kjf

Event flyer (JPG): https://bit.ly/3BmBH5G

###

ICYMI: City of Seattle launches $16 million Seattle Relief Fund to help low-income residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic

by

One-time direct cash assistance available to Seattle families, young people, and artists/culture workers

Additional $5.8 million distributed to low-income immigrants through Seattle COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund

On Monday, October 25, the City of Seattle launched a new Seattle Relief Fund – a $16 million lifeline to help low-income residents who have been disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes households that were unable to access state unemployment, had no health insurance, didn’t receive federal stimulus payments, or experienced housing instability or mental health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This new fund builds on $6.5 million distributed to low-income immigrants and community-based organizations already with Seattle Rescue Funds.

Award amounts are between $1,000 and $3,000 depending on household size. The fund is open to all eligible Seattle residents regardless of their citizenship or immigration status. Eligible applicants must be 18 years old or older, have incomes under 50 percent of Seattle’s area median income (less than $40,500 for an individual or $57,850 for a family of four), and have at least one of these situations apply to the individual or to a household member:

  • Live within the boundaries of the city of Seattle, or 
  • Be enrolled in the Seattle Promise program, or 
  • Be enrolled in Seattle Public Schools, or 
  • Be an artist/cultural worker who has owned or rented an art studio or rehearsal space within the boundaries of the City of Seattle at any time since March 2020.

Applicants can access the online application in one of eight languages. In-language help to assist with application completion is offered from community-based organizations (see below).

As the first U.S. city to be significantly impacted by COVID-19, Seattle has been a leader to rise to address both the public health and economic challenges of this pandemic. We were the first city to quickly respond to directly support our residents and small businesses with grants, innovative new programs like grocery vouchers and rental assistance, and direct cash assistance. Because of our federal funds, we can continue to help vulnerable residents, especially immigrants and BIPOC families who continue to be disproportionately impacted by this ongoing pandemic.

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan

The Seattle Relief Fund dollars are part of a $25 million investment in the Seattle Rescue Plan, proposed and passed by Mayor Durkan and the Seattle City Council in June 2021. The Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) initially prioritized relief funding for direct cash assistance to low-income immigrants who both received financial aid from last year’s Seattle COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund for Immigrants (SDRF) and who continue to be eligible. In this separate recertification process, OIRA partnered with Scholar Fund (SF), previously known as “Scholarship Junkies,” which began sending out text and email notifications to past awardees on August 30, 2021. Of the 3,705 recipients of SDRF cash assistance in 2020, 62.6 percent completed the recertification process and were eligible to receive awards, resulting in a total of $5.8 million in cash assistance. SDRF recertification awards recipients are not eligible to apply for the Seattle Relief Fund.

“I want to thank the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, along with many other City workers, who made sure the Seattle Relief Fund is open to every Seattle resident regardless of immigration status. Throughout this pandemic, our undocumented neighbors have been left out of other lifelines, such as unemployment insurance. This fund is welcome news for them as well as for the many households struggling in an expensive city,” said Council President M. Lorena González. “As a community, we’ve created meaningful COVID-19 relief programs for our residents: direct cash assistance, rent relief, food assistance, utility assistance, and more. I’m proud of that work, and the ongoing care and community building we have for each other gives me hope.”

“As we continue to respond to the impact that COVID-19 has had, we must do so by prioritizing the most impacted communities,” said Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, Position 8, Citywide. “We know that systemic inequities have long persisted prior to the pandemic, this is our opportunity to shift how we service all of our community members and make sure folks who for far too long been denied access to public services, can too get the necessary financial assistance that can provide some temporary relief during these trying times.”

OIRA and the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) are continuing to partner with Scholar Fund (SF) for the Seattle Relief Fund application and fund disbursement processes.

I was just a child in 1975, when my family fled to the United States from Vietnam with just a plastic bag of family photos. But thanks to the kindness of Washington residents and elected leaders who took to heart the words engraved on the Statue of Liberty – “from her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome” – we received assistance and were able to adjust to our new home and eventually give back to our community. We hope the Seattle Relief Fund will be a helpful boost for those Seattle residents who have been impacted by this ongoing pandemic and who need assistance to bounce back. I thank the Mayor and the Council for ensuring these funds help families most in need. And we are proud to once again partner with essential community organizations who have been at the front lines of helping vulnerable individuals during the past year and a half of the pandemic.

Cuc Vu, OIRA’s Director

OIRA and HSD have also issued a total of $690,000 in contracts with local nonprofit community-based organizations to assist with outreach and to help applicants who need assistance in applying over-the-phone or in-person, especially applicants who are English-language learners or who have other accessibility issues. The full list of nonprofit partners can be found at the end of this release.

“The pandemic continues for so many people,” said César García, the co-director of the nonprofit Lake City Collective, one of the SRF community partner organizations. “Especially for those who have lost income because someone in their household became very ill or died, or for parents who couldn’t afford childcare, or workers whose employer shutdown,” he added. “The Seattle Relief Fund recognizes that our neighbors who contribute to Seattle’s economy need a lifeline to keep them afloat in one of the most expensive cities in the country. Lake City Collective is thankful to Mayor Durkan, the Council, and the City of Seattle through departments like OIRA for sending a clear message to our communities, that through actions like this fund and the City’s continuing citywide vaccination efforts, they care about our most vulnerable residents.”

We are proud to partner with community-based organizations across the city on outreach and application assistance to communities most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We know that despite improvements for many, our Black, indigenous, and people of color community members continue to disproportionally feel the impacts of our public health response—which is why it’s critical that we partner with trusted community agencies to provide support that is culturally responsive and in a household’s preferred language. We are working hard to ensure that direct cash assistance is accessible to those most in need with minimal barriers.

Tanya Kim, HSD’s Acting Director

The Seattle Relief Fund started accepting applications this week and will close on Monday, November 15 at 11:59 p.m.For more information, please visit the Scholar Fund program page at: seattlerelief.com.  

The full list of Seattle Relief Fund partner organizations: 

  • Amigos de Seattle 
  • API Chaya 
  • Asian Pacific Islander Coalition Advocating Together (APICAT) for Health  
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of King County 
  • Byrd Barr Place 
  • Children’s Home Society of Washington/North Seattle Family Resource Center 
  • Chinese Information and Service Center 
  • CHOOSE 180 
  • Colectiva Legal del Pueblo 
  • Communities In Schools of Seattle 
  • Consejo Counseling and Referral Service 
  • Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) 
  • Denise Louie Education Center 
  • Entre Hermanos 
  • Eritrean Association in Greater Seattle 
  • Ethiopian Community in Seattle 
  • FamilyWorks 
  • Filipino Community of Seattle 
  • Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center 
  • Horn Of Africa Services 
  • IDIC Filipino Senior & Family Services 
  • Kandelia 
  • King County Equity Now 
  • Korean Community Service Center 
  • La Sala Latinx Artists’ Network 
  • Lake City Collective 
  • Muslim Housing Services 
  • Neighborhood House 
  • Northwest Film Forum 
  • Northwest Folklife 
  • Organizacion CentroAmericano 
  • Path with Art 
  • Rainier Valley Food Bank 
  • Sea Mar Community Health Centers 
  • Seattle Indian Center 
  • Somali Family Safety Task Force 
  • St. James Cathedral Immigrant Assistance 
  • United Communities of Laos 
  • Urban Family 
  • Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle 
  • UTOPIA Washington 
  • Voices of Tomorrow 
  • Washington Dream Coalition 
  • West African Community Council 
  • West Seattle Food Bank 

Rosie’s Tiny House Village Opens

by

A partnership between the City, Sound Transit, and LIHI, Rosie’s Tiny House Village will provide on-site wrap-around services including case management and housing navigation to help people end their experience with homelessness

Today, the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) announced the opening of Rosie’s Tiny House Village in the University District, which adds 36 new units of shelter and will serve up to 50 people currently living unsheltered. The new village, located at 1000 NE 45th Street, will provide 24/7 on-site staffing and wrap-around services including case management, hygiene, a common kitchen area, hot meals, housing navigation, employment, and health resources.

This project was a partnership between the City of Seattle and Sound Transit, which leased the property to the City at no cost. The lease is for one year and can be renewed for up to three years. The property will eventually be converted to a transit-oriented development. The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) will operate the village.

Click above for coverage of the Open House at Rosie’s Tiny House Village

This is the first of three tiny house village projects approved as part of the 2021 budget. In total, 117 new village units are anticipated to open over the next month. The existing Interbay Tiny House Village will expand by 34 units and is expected to open by early November. This will bring the total number of tiny houses at Interbay to 70. The new Friendship Heights Tiny House Village in North Seattle is anticipated to open 47 units in mid-November.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous challenges to all of Seattle, but especially to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. As a city, we have allocated unprecedented resources to address the immediate impacts of the pandemic, such as creating a safer 24/7 enhanced shelter system, providing food access, and expanding hygiene resources. Still, we know that we must continue creating long-term investments in housing to address the scale of the crisis,” said Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “We expect to open 830 permanent homes and enhanced shelter spaces through the end of the year. These life-saving investments mean we will bring hundreds of households out of parks and public rights-of-way and into safer spaces while ending the experience of homelessness for hundreds more.”

When the pandemic arrived in Seattle last year, HSD staff collectively pulled together to not only address the health and safety of shelter guests, but also to increase and improve our shelter inventory. While staff and providers have been stretched thin, this year alone HSD anticipates the opening of over 700 new 24/7 enhanced shelter spaces, including Rosie’s, which will provide much needed safe shelter spaces as we approach winter. It takes many partners working towards the same goal of supporting our most vulnerable neighbors to make projects like Rosie’s a reality. I would like to thank Mayor Durkan, Councilmember Pedersen, the Low Income Housing Institute, Sound Transit, our staff in HSD, Finance and Administrative Services (FAS), and everyone who played a part in standing up this program.

Tanya Kim, Acting Director of HSD

“LIHI is thrilled to be able to provide 50 people living unsheltered a safe, heated, welcoming tiny house, with privacy and dignity. What’s even better, the village will serve as a bridge to permanent housing,” said Sharon Lee, Executive Director of LIHI. “We are grateful for Mayor Durkan’s and Councilmember Pedersen’s leadership and Sound Transit for making this site available. It took the hard work of many people at Sound Transit, HSD, FAS and LIHI working together to make today possible. They should all take pride in helping make a difference in the lives of our unsheltered neighbors.”

Councilmember Alex Pedersen, City of Seattle, District 4, speaking at the Open House on September 28, 2021
Councilmember Pedersen speaking at the Open House on September 28, 2021

“This new tiny home village is an inspiring example of partnerships among governments, nonprofits, and community to address our most pressing crisis— homelessness. By working together and leveraging publicly-owned land, we’re creating a place, forging a path, and instilling hope for dozens of unsheltered people to come off the streets, stabilize their lives, and transition to permanent housing,” said Councilmember Alex Pedersen, District 4 (Northeast Seattle). “I’m very grateful to Sound Transit, the Low Income Housing Institute, and HSD for enabling us to finally finish this life-saving project.”

“This partnership is an example of how Sound Transit is working with cities to address the urgent challenges facing people experiencing homelessness,” said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. “This innovative use of property first used for construction staging when building our new U District station is helping us tackle the most critical need burdening our region. We are grateful to the elected leaders of Seattle in partnering with us on this effort.”

Shelter referrals into Rosie’s will be made by HSD’s HOPE Team based on shelter recommendations from their outreach provider partners. A Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will be formed to provide community input on operations and address concerns. The CAC will meet monthly and members often include immediate neighbors, businesses, community and faith groups, and service providers. 

HSD will maintain oversight of this project through the end of the year. Beginning in 2022, the new King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) will take on administration of the homelessness budget and contracts, including all three new villages opening this year. The City opened its first tiny house village in 2017 and now funds nine villages providing 333 units of shelter.

By the end of the year, the City funded system will include 2,837 units of shelter, an increase of over 530 beds, of which 250 are permanent, over pre-pandemic levels (Q4 2019). 

**This post was originally published on the Homelessness Response blog along with a table of City-funded shelter beds opening in Q3 and Q4 2021.

HSD Announces Supportive Reentry RFP Funding Opportunity

by

The Safe and Thriving Communities (STC) Division of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is seeking applications from community-based organizations to support currently and formerly incarcerated individuals to gain knowledge, skills, and support; connect or reconnect with cultural roots and supportive communities; and to obtain long term, living wage employment in order to transition successfully from incarceration and into the community.

STC is specifically seeking community-based organizations that have experience:

  • actively engaging and working with incarcerated and/or formerly incarcerated individuals from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities with a specific focus on Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Pacific Islander communities;
  • developing and providing supportive services for BIPOC individuals who are currently incarcerated;
  • developing and providing supportive services for formerly incarcerated BIPOC who are reentering communities;
  • rerooting incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals;
  • using an anti-racist approach that actively works to undo systemic racism; and
  • preparing incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people to get and keep good paying jobs.

For this RFP, the term “reentry” is used to describe assisting people returning from incarceration to “reenter” systems and institutions that may lead to economic and social progress. “Rerooting” refers to the process of connecting people back to their cultural roots and communities. Since much of incarceration is about isolating people, a process of rerooting is necessary to ground people despite the systemic barriers that still exist. For all individuals returning from incarceration, being part of strong and connected communities provides accountability and supports their ability to thrive.

This year, thanks to the recommendations of the Equitable Communities Initiative Task Force, $1,383,000 in City of Seattle General Fund was allocated to funding culturally appropriate reentry services and rerooting programming for BIPOC currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. The Equitable Communities Initiative Task Force is a diverse group of people of color and community leaders representing a cross-section of industries, including environmental justice, who came together to spearhead the process of developing recommendations for a $30 million investment into our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. Initial funding will be for the period of December 15, 2021-December 31, 2022.

  • Applicants can request up to $250,000 and may request less.
  • Organizations must serve individuals who are currently or formerly incarcerated. Formerly incarcerated individuals must live, work, or attend school in the City of Seattle. Currently incarcerated individuals must seek to live, work, or attend school in the City of Seattle upon release.
  • Contract renewal depends on performance and funding availability.

This is an open and competitive process. For more information, and all RFP materials, please visit HSD’s Funding Opportunities web page: http://www.seattle.gov/humanservices/funding-and-reports/funding-opportunities. Completed application packets are due by 12:00 p.m., Noon on Friday, November 5, 2020.

If you have any questions, or would like to receive a copy of the RFP in the mail or by email, please contact Natalie Thomson via email at natalie.thomson@seattle.gov.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

by

“Kim” is a survivor of domestic violence. Kim experienced multiple forms of abuse including mental, emotional, and financial. The violence was also beginning to escalate for her kids which prompted her to leave. She was very fearful of the uncertainty because everything she had was in her husband’s name (i.e. house, car). After years of living in fear, Kim chose to flee and sought assistance with a local domestic violence (DV) program for her and her children. Once she began working with a the agency, Kim discovered that she could independently advocate for herself. With the agency’s assistance, Kim received funding support for housing, enrolled in counseling and support groups, and obtained employment. Client assistance funds provided by the City of Seattle covered Kim’s move-in expenses, clothing for her and her children, transportation costs, and therapeutic services.

Banner image with purple ribbon and text October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). It is a time to remember victims/survivors of abuse and exploitation, to raise awareness of violence and its effect on families and communities, and a time to acknowledge and highlight those working to address ending gender-based violence. Kim is one of 10,931 individuals/families assisted in 2020, by the Seattle-funded network of providers. Our providers work in collaboration to provide wrap around services for survivors and their families including advocacy, counseling, therapeutic services, housing/shelter, legal assistance and representation, and systems enhancement. In addition, some also participate in regional coalition building efforts such as Access to Advocacy, Peace in the Home Helpline, Day One, Coordinated Effort Against Sexual Exploitation (CEASE), Criminal Justice Committee, Domestic Violence Prevention Council (DVPC), and Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP), which convene regularly to assess, identify, plan and address systems needs and gaps, and to ensure that Seattle’s regional response is seamless.

Along with the Mayor’s proclamation of the month, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the following agencies for their partnership and commitment to ending gender-based violence:

  • Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services
  • ACT & T
  • API Chaya
  • Asian Counseling and Referral Service
  • Atlantic Street Center
  • Aurora Commons
  • Casa Latina
  • Chief Seattle Club
  • Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence
  • Consejo Counseling and Referral Service
  • Domestic Abuse Women’s Network
  • Eastside Legal Assistance Program
  • Filipino Community of Seattle
  • Gender Justice League
  • Green Light Project
  • Harborview Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress
  • InterIm CDA
  • Jewish Family Service
  • King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
  • King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
  • La Esperanza
  • LifeWire
  • Mother Nation
  • Multi-Communities
  • New Beginnings
  • Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
  • Northwest Justice Project
  • Northwest Network
  • Organization for Prostitution Survivors
  • Powerful Voices
  • Real Escape from the Sex Trade
  • Refugee Women’s Alliance
  • The Salvation Army
  • Seattle City Attorney’s Office
  • Seattle Indian Health Board
  • Seattle Municipal Court
  • Seattle Police Department
  • Solid Ground
  • Somali Family Safety Task Force
  • WA Anti-Trafficking Response Network (WARN)
  • YouthCare
  • YWCA King, Pierce, Snohomish

Please click on the image above of Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) Acting Director, Tanya Kim, and Safe and Thriving Communities Division Director, Rex Brown, for a video message thanking our partners for their commitment to ending gender-based violence and calling on everyone to help us raise awareness during the month of October. Thanks again for your work, support, and partnership!

Seattle Great Wheel lit up in purple at night

During DV Awareness Month, our partners at the Columbia Center Tower, Lumen Field, and The Seattle Great Wheel will be changing their lights to “wear purple” on Thursday, October 21, 2021 for #PugetSoundPurpleThursday.

HSD’s Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and the Seattle Office of Labor Standards are inviting everyone to join us to raise awareness of domestic violence NEXT THURSDAY, and share your photo on social media with the hashtags #PurpleThursday and #PugetSoundPurplethursday. Include in your photo a sign stating why you are wearing purple on this day or why this cause has special meaning for you.

Sign image with purple ribbon and text which reads I wear purple for all victims and survivors of domestic violence

City of Seattle Recognizes October as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month” to Raise Awareness and Support for Survivors of Abuse

by

Seattle – (October 1, 2021) – Each year, the City of Seattle’s Office of Labor Standards (OLS) and Human Services Department (HSD) mark the month of October as a time to remember victims and survivors of abuse and exploitation; to raise awareness about violence and its effect on families and communities; and acknowledge and highlight those working to end gender-based violence. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an increase in domestic violence reports with deep impacts on survivors. We can still be a lifeline during this unprecedented time, remember to check in on your neighbors who may be suffering abuse in silence. Now more than ever, it’s crucial that we help those who may be suffering by raising our voices and awareness.

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan

Mayor Durkan proclaimed the month of October as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month” in Seattle to help raise public awareness and support for victims and survivors of gender-based violence. The City also takes seriously its responsibility to its own employees and to serving as a role model for other large organizations. In addition to sick leave, Seattle’s Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) Ordinance provides workers with paid leave for absences that result from critical safety issues arising from domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. PSST COVID-19 amendments also require employers with employees in Seattle to provide paid leave when their family member’s school or place of care has been closed.

Taking steps to end gender-based violence is a shared responsibility. This month, we take this moment to increase awareness about resources and legal protections available to workers dealing with gender-based violence, like Seattle’s Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance and the additional Covid-19 amendments. Safe time, especially after more than a year of COVID restrictions, has enabled survivors to seek the assistance they need. Our workplaces can play an important role in a survivor’s physical safety and financial security, especially when they offer paid safe leave for absences related to domestic violence and sexual assault.

Steven Marchese, Office of Labor Standards Director

In 2021, HSD stood up a new Safe and Thriving Communities (STC) Division which consolidates the department’s safety investments. STC was created in response to Black Lives Matter protests and community advocacy to focus on BIPOC communities and shift safety investments into community-based organizations. STC unites teams, including the Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (MODVSA), Crime Survivor Services’ (CSS) Victim Support Team and Victim Advocates, and Community Safety, that fund community-based organizations that increase community safety.

External pressure like the pandemic is not the cause of domestic violence, but through the incredible work of tireless advocates Like Lan Pham in MODVSA and the larger division as a whole, we do understand those root causes and the impact of the pandemic better.

Rex Brown, HSD Safe & Thriving Communities Division Director

While domestic violence does not discriminate, language barriers, lack of culturally relevant services, threats of deportation, and fear of isolation put marginalized communities at an increased risk of experiencing gender-based violence. Women of color and Native women are two-to-three times more likely to experience a gender-based, violence-related fatality than their white counterparts. MODVSA partners with more than 30 diverse service providers to increase access for all survivors with the ‘no wrong door’ approach to advocacy.

The City of Seattle invests more than $10 million annually in community-based programing focused on gender-based violence outreach and education, prevention and advocacy, therapeutic services and counseling, shelter and housing, and offender accountability programming. Through these investments, HSD and partners support more than 10,000 survivors each year.

Domestic violence impacts individuals from all genders, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In Washington State, 41 percent of women and 32 percent of men report experiencing violence from an intimate partner.

Interpersonal violence, family violence and community violence impact all of us. Thus, we must work jointly to prevent, intervene, and end violence in our communities.

Lan Pham, HSD Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Manger

The issue of domestic violence is widespread and thrives when we are silent. With so many of us working or supporting community from home this year, OLS and HSD’s Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault are inviting everyone to wear purple every Thursday during October in solidarity with survivors of domestic violence. Post a photo, hold a sign, or share a personal story if you are comfortable and use the social media hashtags #DVAM and #Purple Thursday.

The Seattle Great Wheel and Columbia Center office building downtown will join us on Thursday, October 21 for #PugetSoundPurpleThursday and for awareness events nationwide. For more ideas and action steps that you can take to end domestic violence, visit: https://endgv.org/ or https://wscadv.org/dvam/. As WSCADV writes this year, “it doesn’t have to be perfect to have an impact. Just making an effort is what matters most.”

Please visit the OLS website for more information on the PSST Ordinance or call 206-256-5297. And, visit the Seattle Human Services Department for more on supportive victim services.

####

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

by

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.

Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center to open as an emergency cooling shelter

by

With forecasted record breaking temperatures over the weekend through Monday, June 28, the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) announced the planned opening of a 24-hour cooling shelter to provide relief from the elements for individuals experiencing homelessness. The cooling shelter will be open from 8 a.m. this Saturday, June 26, through 7 a.m. on Tuesday, June 29. The shelter will be operated by The Salvation Army with capacity for 73 individuals. Meals will be provided to guests by OSL. 

To support those living unsheltered in the excessive heat, over the coming days, the HOPE Team, in partnership with outreach providers, will be conducting welfare checks, handing out water and basic needs supplies, and providing other supports, including transportation to cooling centers and shelter. 

Lake City Community Center (15321 28th Ave NE), which has been serving as a day center, will be open this weekend and Seattle Parks and Recreation has arranged for evaporative cooling at that location. There will be extended hours of operation on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  

Day Centers for People Experiencing Homelessness 

Click to download flyer
  • The Salvation Army Jefferson Day Center, 4th Ave & Jefferson Street 
    Hours: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.; 7 days-a-week  
  • Community Drop-In Center (Seattle Indian Center), 1265 S Main St, Suite 105 
    Hours: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday (NEW EXTENDED HOURS) / 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Monday – Friday  
  • Lake City Community Center, 12531 28th Ave NE 
    Hours: 9 a.m – 6 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday/ 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.; Tuesday 
  • Urban Rest Stop -Downtown, 1924 Ninth Avenue 
    Hours: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Sat. -Sun. / 5:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.; Mon. – Fri. 
  • Women’s Day Center, 1830 9th Ave 
    Hours: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Saturday / 7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.; Monday – Friday  
  • God’s Lil Acre, 12521 33rd Ave NE  
    Hours: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. & 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.; Monday – Friday 
  • Immanuel Community Services, 1215 Thomas St 
    Hours: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Monday – Friday 
  • Peter’s Place/Compass Hygiene Center, 77 S Washington St 
    Hours: 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Monday – Friday 
  • Urban Rest Stop – Ballard, 2014-B NW 57th St  
    Hours: 6:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.; Monday – Friday 

For more information on cooling center locations and updated guidance on staying cool during the extreme heat – read the Mayor’s June 24 press release.

HSD Announces Awards for Food Bank Services in SW Seattle

by

The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is pleased to announce the results of the 2021 Geographic Specific – Delridge, Georgetown, South Park – Food Bank Services Request for Proposal (RFP) which closed March 24, 2021.

Four organizations will receive a total of $153,307 in 2021 to support food bank services for low-income individuals and families in the Delridge, Georgetown, and South Park neighborhoods. Agencies interested in funding were asked to demonstrate their community-centered program model and cultural responsivity in providing services.

Volunteers in kitchen preparing and packagin home meals for delivery
HSD staff volunteering at South Park Senior Center to prepare meals for home delivery

HSD received four eligible applications for this RFP, requesting a total of $243,048, demonstrating a need in these communities for food bank services. A six-person rating panel composed of subject matter experts, institutional partners, and community members reviewed these applications for cultural responsivity, program model, and quality of services provided. After review, raters recommended that all four applications receive full or partial funding.

Raters expressed appreciation for the community-oriented nature of the applications, their strong grassroots networks, ability to consult with community members, and their provision of vital services to these communities.

The four agencies receiving funding awards are Cultivate South Park, St. Vincent de Paul of Seattle/King County, South Park Senior Citizens, and West Seattle Food Bank. Agencies received award letters on June 4, 2011.

Cultivate South Park, a coalition of South Park residents dedicated to building community through food and public spaces, expressed how essential these funds will be to continuing their “El Mercadito” program, an outdoor fresh food and produce market in the South Park Neighborhood.

South Park Senior Citizens explained how home deliveries of fresh produce from local farms and hot meals to their clients had proven essential to their clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The positive response from community members for these services encouraged them to focus more on not just providing meals to their clients but including deliveries of fresh food as well. Across the board, agency staff expressed enthusiasm for building new or continued partnerships with HSD.

Contracts for this RFP will begin July 1, 2021. For further information on this RFP, please contact Planning & Development Specialist II, Amaury Ávalos at amaury.avalos@seattle.gov.