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Seattle Human Services news and events

HSD Announces Funding Opportunity to Provide Behavioral Health Support to Young People

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Positive young black guy laughing near graffiti wall with rainbow flag
[Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels]

The Youth and Family Empowerment (YFE) Division of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is seeking applications from organizations to provide behavioral health support to young people. Eligible services through this Request for Proposals (RFP) include non-residential behavioral health support through clinical treatment and/or non-clinical, culturally specific approaches. Organizations must have documented experience:

  • engaging Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) youth and/or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ+) youth of color;
  • providing culturally appropriate behavioral health services; and
  • engaging with Seattle’s young people between 8 and 24 years old.

This RFP is investing $938,841 from HSD General Fund. Initial funding will be for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2023. Contract renewal for an additional three years will depend on agency performance and funding availability.

Depending on the number of applications received, HSD intends to fund six to eight proposals. Each applicant is limited to one proposal. For collaborative programs, only the agency identified as the lead should apply. If an agency is also partnering in another application, the services provided, and budget requested should be clearly defined and not duplicative.

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 Noon PDT, on Monday, May 16, 2022.

Questions?

Please contact Tan Mei Teo, Funding Process Coordinator, via email with any questions about this RFP: tan-mei.teo@seattle.gov

HSD Announces Farm to Table Support Services Funding Opportunity

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A young boy lifts a prepackaged bag of produce off a table full of bags
Preschool student picks up his family’s Good Food Bag. Photo provided by Tilth Alliance

*Updated April 19, 2022

The Youth and Family Empowerment (YFE) Division of the City of Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is seeking applications from organizations and farmers interested in food equity for Seattle Preschool Programs serving low-income children and families. This Farm to Table Support Services RFP invests in healthy, local, sustainable, culturally relevant food access and education in approximately 50 Seattle Preschool Programs located across the City of Seattle serving 2,000 children ages 3-5 years old. This RFP investment has two program components:

Component 1- Nutrition Education: Increase education on healthy, nutritious, and culturally relevant foods for children, families, and staff in Seattle Preschool Programs:

  • Increase nutrition awareness
  • Reduce health disparities among preschool children and their families
  • Increase connections and relationships between farmers, children, and families
  • Increase education about water consumption

Component 2- Farm to Family Food Bags: Increase access and consumption of fresh and local produce to Seattle Preschool Program children, families, and staff by providing take-home Farm to Family Food Bags including:

  • Food that is culturally relevant
  • Food sourced from Washington State farmers
  • Food sourced from farms owned and operated by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers and business owners, immigrants and refugees, and women

Applicants may apply for one or both program component(s). All funded organizations in both program components will be required to participate in a community-based program evaluation designed by program participants and facilitated by a community-based evaluator.

Three images, left to right, showing animals on a farm, boxes of fruit stacked up on a table, and a hand holding a single carton of fresh, green beans
Photo provided by Farmstand Local Foods

This RFP is investing approximately $839,815 from the following sources: $766,158 in Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax (SBT) funding and $73,657 in City of Seattle General Fund. Initial funding will be for the period of January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023. 

While it is the City’s intention to renew agreements resulting from this funding opportunity on an annual basis through the 2026 program year, future funding will be contingent upon performance and funding availability. HSD seeks to contract with a diverse group of providers to help ensure that the result of HSD’s Farm to Table Support Services investment is that all people living in Seattle can meet their basic needs.

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 4:00 p.m. PDT, on Thursday, May 5, 2022.

If you have any questions, or would like to receive a copy of the RFP in the mail or by email, please contact Pamela Maskara, Funding Process Coordinator, at pamela.maskara@seattle.gov.

Support Survivors of Violence

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Victim support advocate volunteers needed – Training will be provided

Smiling, young Black woman pictured with quote "I started volunteering because I wanted to know how to help survivors of domestic violence" with additional text about accepting applications for new volunteers through March 17, 2022.

The Human Services Department would like your help! HSD’s Safe and Thriving Communities Division is seeking help recruiting community volunteers to become trained support advocates to victims of domestic violence and other crimes. Victim Support Team (VST) volunteers offer support to survivors in a unique time of need, and their commitment and impact make this program a vital part of the City’s response to violence. 

About becoming a Victim Support Team volunteer:

  • VST Community Volunteers come from all backgrounds and walks of life.
  • No experience in social work or counseling is required.
  • Free onboarding, training, and mentorship will be provided as a part of the program.
  • The Victim Support Team provides short term advocacy, safety planning, and referrals to culturally relevant resources.
  • VST volunteers operate in-person on the weekends as a mobile crisis response team, and during the week offering remote phone advocacy.

Benefits of volunteering with VST:

  • Make an important impact providing compassionate and non-judgmental support to survivors.
  • Join a professional community of practice that includes experts in the field of victim advocacy.
  • Gain skills and knowledge in survivor advocacy and build community connections and relationships.

More information and application materials are available online, please visit VST Volunteer Opportunities – HumanServices | seattle.gov today:

  • Applications are open now, deadline to submit is March 17, 2022
  • Must be 21+ and pass an SPD background check

HSD Announces Funding Awards to Address Reentry Services and Rerooting Programming

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The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is pleased to announce the results of the Supportive Reentry RFP which closed November 5, 2021.

Last 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 is for the period of December 15, 2021-December 31, 2022.

In response to this RFP, HSD received 26 proposals totaling $5,885,112 in requested funds from agencies. The 26 proposals were forwarded to the rating panel to be read and rated individually, and then as a group. This rating panel was comprised of community members and staff who were of, and/or work with, the focus and priority populations of this RFP. Raters held content expertise in community-led solutions to supportive reentry programs for BIPOC Communities in the City of Seattle, King County, and Washington State. Raters were age, gender, and ethnically diverse and represented multiple cultures and communities.

The top nine rated proposals were recommended for funding, although none of the agencies received the full amount requested. Read more below about a few of them:

  • Arms Around You
  • Boys & Girls Club of King County
  • Chief Seattle Club
  • Community Passageways
  • Creative Justice
  • East African Community Services
  • Freedom Project
  • Northwest Credible Messenger
  • University Beyond Bars

Arms Around You (AAY) is an organization that works “to increase public safety and reduce recidivism by helping the most vulnerable people become self-sufficient, productive, contributing members of their communities.” Their proposal’s strengths included the diverse range of men, women and young adults they serve, their by and for model, and their strong use of qualitative data. AAY offers services in education, therapy, substance abuse treatment, legal assistance, and job placement. They also offer six different social enterprise businesses where trainees can receive real job training that they can use immediately upon graduation from one of the programs.

“We’re excited to be chosen,” shared Avon Curtis, AAY’s Chief Executive Officer. “We applied for this funding because we wanted the opportunity to support the re-entry community in a more meaningful way,” and grassroots organizations like this often face challenges in getting funding. As a Black female-founded and led organization, 83% of AAY staff are Black women, and 100% are BIPOC women.

When a member of Chief Seattle Club’s Re-Entry Program is first released from prison, Jeremy Garretson is there with a “Day One” package. He takes them to get a fresh set of clothes, a cell phone, and a bus pass. Once the basics are settled, it’s time to make a plan. Garretson works with each member individually to determine personalized next steps for employment and either transitional or permanent housing.

The Club’s Reetry Program will serve 120 members annually and will connect individuals reentering communities to housing, mental health support, employment, and cultural support like healing through drumming and sweat lodges. Their Reentry Manager is Northern Arapaho and is himself, formerly incarcerated. He has “yellow badge” access to all prisons and visits at least two prisons a month to build relationships with AI/AN community members who are incarcerated.

The Freedom Project uses a three-pronged model centered on healing circles. The circles are facilitated using trauma informed approaches, including compassionate communication. All three components were built on requests from community members. The other two are: community-based support, focused on systems navigation, and housing support. The applicant also focused on eradicating anti-blackness.

Northwest Credible Messenger‘s proposal described a healing-centered, community/home-based, culturally-responsive, and customized approach. The organization has a strong emphasis on restorative justice principles and described several established community partnerships including University of Washington (which supports internships, data capacity and more) and the State of Washington. Their application described using cognitive therapy and getting to the root causes of issues, as well as focused on workforce readiness and engagement of positive adult models. Northwest Credible Messenger believes that “communities have the solutions they need.”

Avon Curtis agrees. “We advocate for individuals… but they have to do the footwork to get there. We want to be here to put our arms around you but you have to be responsible for yourself.”

When asked about the impact this type of funding from the City has, she shared that they are looking forward to getting a bigger office and that this investment is going to open up more doors for her organization. But the important thing is “it’s going to make the community safer because there are organizations like ours. Working together collectively. When you work together it makes a much stronger community.”

She also believes that having the City fund programs like this does more than just reduce recidivism. “We go inside to build the relationship with you. And when you leave we are still here. And that’s huge.” Because when you’re building a relationship with people who may have been failed by the system, you need to that earn that trust.

For more information about this RFP, please contact Natalie Thomson, RFP Coordinator, at Natalie.Thomson@seattle.gov.

Looking Back at 2021 as We Look Forward to 2022

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Our Mission to connect people with resources and solutions during times of need so we can all live, learn, work, and take part in strong, healthy communities continued to hold a greater sense of urgency in 2021. Over this past year, the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) continued to be one of the largest contributors to Seattle’s safety net, and our staff and community of human service providers continued to be a part of the front-line response to COVID-19. HSD also worked to advance our Mission by adapting programs and rising to challenges to ensure all of our communities have access to the opportunity to thrive. And we couldn’t do it without the partnership and efforts of friends and community members.

As we take on new bodies of work in 2022, we move forward committed to helping people grow up and grow old with opportunity and dignity and will work to support and empower diverse communities across Seattle. We are proud to share some of the highlights from 2021, and we are grateful for the help and hard work many of you provided us to realize these achievements.

COVID-19:

Round sticker design with text I got my COVID-19 Vaccine #BestShotSeattle
  1. Aging & Disability Services (ADS) helped 14,000 clients secure COVID-19 vaccine appointments and 1,350+ in-home vaccine screenings. Staff also assisted in standing up 120 vaccine clinics in SHA building and other community-based locations.
  2. Wellspring reported distributing 70 checks totaling an additional $81,200 in cash assistance from the Hospitality Worker Emergency Relief Fund. The cumulative dispersed amount for the Fund is 1,520 checks totaling $2,023,00 in cash assistance. The total amount dedicated to the Fund is $2,170,000.
  3. Seattle Relief Fund provided over $16 million in direct cash assistance for vulnerable low-income residents impacted by COVID-19.

Preparing Youth for Success:

Tilth Alliance staff and two SYEP interns standing out in a field
  1. Seattle Summer Food Service Program distributed 82,903 meals including lunches, breakfasts, and snacks at 39 sites throughout Seattle, including parks and Seattle Public Schools.
  2. Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) supported 328 paid youth opportunities through its Earn and Learn program and employment internships, which ranged from environmental work to media production and much more.

Supporting Affordability and Livability:

Ad graphic with text including "We're here to help." seattle.gov/UDP
  1. HSD provided funding for 214,549 food bank visits (duplicated) and 1,457,972 meals through meal programs (at PSH, ES, and Community meals).
  2. 7,183 new Utility Discount Program (UDP) customers were enrolled.

Promoting Public Health:

  1. ADS staff helped lead the large-scale transition of the state’s “Get Care” Database which involved training and supporting 132 individuals and 32 agencies.
  2. The nationally recognized Mobile Integrated Health Program partnership continued to increase the service area for Health One and added a second Seattle Fire unit to respond to referrals, and announced the launch of a third unit in 2022.

Addressing Homelessness:

City employees assisting with Exhibition Hall shelter operations
  1. As the Homeless Strategy & Investment (HSI) division moved towards its year-end sunset the team held steady on its commitment to increase access to safer spaces and to keep COVID protections in place across shelters. In 2021, a net 380 new shelter beds were created by year-end, with 350 new 24/7 non-congregate shelter spaces in the last quarter. Currently the City funds approximately 2,800 total shelter spaces, a 700-shelter unit increase over levels at the end of 2020. Additionally, 92% of City-funded shelter spaces are now 24/7 enhanced with wraparound onsite services – this compares to 75% pre-pandemic (Q4 2019).
  2. The team has also been working to close out over 160 contracts that the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) will take on starting this month.
  3. And over the course of a nine-day severe weather shelter activation that ended January 3 in response to prolonged cold temperatures and snowy conditions, HSI staff, in partnership with service providers, the KCRHA, volunteers, and City departments, provided a total of 2,116 overnight stays across six emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness.

Promoting Healthy Aging:

  1. 2,351 people were reached via 22 Age Friendly Seattle virtual events in 2021 as the program continued to support learning and social connection through online programing including Civic Coffee Hours, Close to Home programs, an African American Elders’ Candidates Forum, Memory Sunday Brain Health & Dementia Awareness, and more.

Supporting Safe Communities:

Seattle Great Wheel lit up in purple at night
  1. Work continued in 2021 to stand up our new Safe and Thriving Communities (STC) Division. We hired STC’s first Division Director and acquired two SPD services: Crime Victim Advocates and Victim Support Team. And the Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (MODVSA) continued its work after moving into the division.
  2. STC staff conducted several funding processes to invest in community, including:
    • $500,000 in Regional Peacekeepers Collective
    • $600,000 to mitigate increasing gender-based violence during the pandemic

As we look ahead, please join us in celebrating these tremendous contributions and looking forward to what we will achieve together in 2022!

ICYMI: City of Seattle Provides 9,392 Cash Assistance Grants to Income-Eligible Families through the Seattle Relief Fund

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Additional 3,300 Seattle immigrant and refugees received cash assistance

Last week, the City of Seattle in partnership with several nonprofit organizations announced that it has provided 5,257 individuals and 4,135 households with direct cash assistance through its Seattle Relief Fund. This fund was created to support vulnerable income-eligible Seattle residents who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With the Omicron variant now here in King County, we know that COVID-19 is far from done with us, which is why we continue to launch programs to aid residents, households, and small businesses that continue to feel the impacts from this pandemic,” said Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “Nearly 50 community organizations focused on equitable outreach both in-person and over-the-phone to help thousands apply for this crucial funding, and now, more than ever this cash assistance will help pay for groceries, bills, and housing.”

Of the applicants, 5,585 adults received $1,000 awards, 827 two-adult households received a payment of $2,000, and 2,980 households with children or adult dependents received a payment of $3,000. The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) and Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) both managed the Seattle Relief Fund, with the planning process starting in July of this year and the official application having launched on Monday, October 25. In the three weeks that the application was open, the program received 63,672 submissions.

Seattle-based tech nonprofit organization Scholar Fund (SF) managed the application process. According to SF’s analysis of the applications, a majority of households who received funding (61.1%) experienced a death, hospitalization, or long-term health impact or crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A vast majority of awardees (92.4%) experienced some form of recent housing instability, including the inability to pay rent/mortgage and/or having to move out of their home. Also 82.7% of all applicants reported a lost a job or loss of income as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

As many of our neighbors continue to be impacted by the pandemic, it is a priority of City Council to get relief directly into the hands of COVID-19-impacted households and individuals. This week, thousands of individuals directly experienced the Seattle Rescue Plan policy and values in action and received much needed direct cash relief as year three of life with COVID-19 fast approaches. It was an honor to secure this funding for Seattle residents and artists, and I want to thank the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, the Human Services Department, and our community partners for their quick work to both stand up a process and efficiently award funds.

Seattle City Council President M. Lorena González (Position 9, Citywide)

The SRF’s design and implementation by both City departments was rooted in collaborative innovation with the community. SRF integrated feedback and ideas from dozens of community-based organizations throughout all phases of the project, including determining eligibility, formulating the application, and launching the outreach and engagement campaign.

“We were honored to help with the disbursement of money through the Seattle Relief Fund. Through the process, we witnessed first-hand the number of people financial assistance could positively impact,” said Vivian Hua, Executive Director of Northwest Film Forum, a Seattle Relief Fund community organization partner. “The SRF community outreach efforts were innovative, smooth, and offered a replicable model for centering communities that are often difficult to reach.”

“The overwhelming response that we received from our Seattle Relief Fund outreach activities indicates the impact that COVID-19 continues to have on those living in the Seattle area,” said Violet Lavatai, representing APICAT another SRF community partner. “APICAT for Health appreciates having the opportunity to partner with the City of Seattle, Mayor Durkan, HSD, OIRA, Scholar Fund, and the other community organizations involved in this effort to support individuals and families during this holiday season. Our collective effort serves as a reminder of what can be accomplished when we work together.”

The source of the Seattle Relief Fund dollars was from a $25 million appropriation dubbed the Seattle Rescue Plan, passed by Mayor Durkan and the Seattle City Council in June 2021. The intention of SRF was to prioritize Seattle residents who have disproportionately experienced the economic and public health impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, including self-employed artists/cultural workers, people unable to access state unemployment/federal stimulus funds, and those who had no health insurance or are experiencing housing instability or mental health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The work done on the Seattle Relief Fund activates a critical safety net for those most impacted by the pandemic. HSD connects people to resources and solutions during times of need, and SRF provides a significant infusion of resources that support a more equitable recovery for Seattle’s most vulnerable and low-income. This collaborative effort is also a great example of HSD’s focus on building partnerships between public agencies and the community that lead to innovative solutions that support people’s right to thrive.

Tanya Kim, HSD’s Acting Director

The Seattle Relief Fund application was available online in six additional languages (Amharic, Chinese, Korean, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese), with 30.7% of all forms submitted in those languages. Additionally, of all applications awarded, 78.4% of recipients identified as BIPOC.

“I continued to be so inspired by the commitment and innovation across the city and our communities. Together, we stepped up to launch this important program, reaching applicants in all but two Seattle ZIP codes. It’s such a great feeling to know that families will have a brighter holiday,” said Cuc Vu, Director of OIRA. “Seattle once again shows its leadership as a welcoming city that continues to center the needs of our most vulnerable communities. Big thanks also to Scholar Fund who quickly processed and reviewed the over 63,000 submitted applications. This is government and community collaboration at its best!”

Prior to the Seattle Relief Fund, OIRA disbursed $5,807,000 in direct cash assistance specifically to low-income immigrants ineligible for federal stimulus payments. These immigrants received financial aid from last year’s Seattle COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund for Immigrants (SDRF) and were able to apply through a separate recertification process that began August 2021. OIRA again partnered with Scholar Fund, which sent out text and email notifications and even made phone calls to last year’s awardees. Of the original 3,705 who submitted SDRF applications in 2020, 89% were eligible for continued aid. Individuals and households who received payments as part of the 2021 SDRF recertification process were not eligible to apply for the Seattle Relief Fund.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the City of Seattle has worked quickly to launch COVID-19 testing sites, vaccination clinics, and relief programs including rent relief, expanding shelter for people experiencing homelessness, grocery vouchers for working families, and financial assistance to small businesses. Residents and businesses can find a list of existing COVID-19 relief resources and policies at this website: seattle.gov/covid-19.

City of Seattle Nightly Severe Weather Shelters Open at Seattle Center Exhibition Hall and Compass Housing Pioneer Square to Serve People Experiencing Homelessness

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**Click here for a new post with the latest info and updated flyer (12/30/2021 – 1/2/2022)

*Post last updated on 1/3/2022

Severe weather shelters are closing on 1/3/2022. Together, with contracted severe weather shelter providers and the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, the City was able to make sure that on approximately 2,100 (duplicated) occasions between December 25th and January 3rd, people in our community didn’t have to sleep outside in severe cold, snow, and freezing temperatures.

In anticipation of increasing low temperatures and potential snow over the coming days, the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD), will open emergency Severe Weather Shelters from Saturday, December 25th through Wednesday, December 29th. Forecasts will be monitored to assess emergency shelter needs for people experiencing homelessness beyond the morning of Thursday the 30th.

The Salvation Army and Compass Housing Alliance will manage operations and staffing, with support from city staff and partners.

The shelters, located at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall and Compass Housing Alliance Shelter in Pioneer Square, will open nightly at 7pm starting December 25th. They will continue operations through Wednesday, December 29th, providing an additional 180 – 200 emergency shelter spaces for individuals experiencing homelessness.

  • This severe winter weather shelter location is now closed: Seattle Center Exhibition Hall – Operated by Salvation Army
    • 301 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA 98109
      • Enter though main entrance off Mercer Street and go down the stairs. Serves 150 people, all genders, 18+ years, non-aggressive leashed dogs and cats under owner control allowed. The Seattle Center campus hygiene station will be accessible. The Armory opens daily at 10am for day warming.
      • Served directly by Metro Bus routes 3, 4, 5, 8, 16, 28, RapidRide E Line, and nearby routes include: 1, 13, and RapidRide D Line.
  • This severe winter weather shelter location is now closed: Compass Housing Alliance Shelter in Pioneer Square
    • 210 Alaskan Way South, Seattle, WA 98104
      • Enter at the corner of So. Washington and Alaskan Way. Serves 80+ people, all genders, 18+ years, service animals only at this location. Day Center also available at this location.
      • Served by nearby public transit services (1-3 blocks away): Seattle Streetcar, Link Light Rail, routes 21, 29, 55, 56, 57, 101, 102, 111, 113, 114, 120, 121, 115, 150, 162, 177, 190, 212, 214, 216, 217, 218, 550, 554, RapidRide C, ST 590, ST 592, ST 594, ST 595, ST 577, ST 578, PT 410, PT, 415, PT 417, PT 422, PT 424, and Washington State Ferries.
  • This severe winter weather shelter location is now closed: Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes (Operated by Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle)
    • 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 (enter on 5th Ave).
      • Open 7:00 am to 7:00 pm as needed through January 2, 2022.  Meals by Operation Sack Lunch, Occupancy: 25-30 guests.  
  • West Seattle (Operated by American Legion Post 160 and faith-based network volunteers) 
    • 3618 Southwest Alaska Street, Seattle, WA 98126, 206-932-9696  
      • Occupancy: 16 guests, adults 18+, now open 24/7 through severe weather
  • God’s Lil Acre (Operated by Lake City Partners). 
    • 12517 33rd Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125
      • Night shelter open 9pm – 9am, day center open 9am – 5pm, Occupancy: 15-20 guests
  • Seattle Mennonite Church (Operated by Lake City Partners). 
    • 3120 NE 125th St, Seattle, WA 98125, 206-361-4630
      • Night shelter opens starting 12/26, 9pm – 9am, Occupancy: 25-35 guests    

Emergency shelter spaces will follow COVID-19 safety and screening protocols for guests, including added air filtration, physical distancing, and increased sanitation and hygiene. Providers will also follow public health isolation protocols for any symptomatic guests.

Community members seeking places to come inside during the day are encouraged to utilize public spaces available for all, such as Seattle Public Libraries and the Seattle Center Armory. Day centers (including the one operated by Compass Housing in Pioneer Square), existing programs open and offering support year-round for people experiencing homelessness. Year-round service provider day centers are identified on City’s Hygiene Map, which can be filtered to show day center locations across the city. HSD will continue to share updated lists as additional day and center or warming locations are identified by agencies involved in emergency response functions.  

City coordinated warming locations open for severe weather this December:

Daytime Warming Locations

Note: As of January, 2, 2022, many severe weather day warming locations closed. The following locations no longer offer daytime warming center functions and have closed or returned to normal operations as of 1/2/2022

  • Day warming has ended at Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes (Operated by Seattle Urban League)
    • Address: 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104.
    • Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (overnight shelter 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
  • Day warming has ended at International District/Chinatown Community Center
    • Address: 719 8th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104.
    • Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday (Jan. 1): 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (5 p.m. is normal closing); Sunday (Jan. 2): 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (normally closed).
  • Day warming has ended at Magnuson Park Building #406
    • Hours: Monday and Tuesday 12 noon to 8 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday (Jan. 1) and Sunday (Jan. 2): 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (normally closed).
  • Day warming has ended at Northgate Community Center
    • Address: 10510 5th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125. Phone: 206-386-4823
    • Hours: M-F: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday (Jan. 1) 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (normally closed), Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (normally closed).
  • Day warming has ended at Rainier Beach Community Center
    • Address: 8825 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118. Phone: 206-386-1925
    • Hours: Monday-Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday (Dec. 31) 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (normally 6:30 p.m.), Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 pm, Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 pm. 206-386-1925 NOTE: Rainer Beach Community Center will be CLOSED Saturday and Sunday 1/1 – 1/2/2022
  • Day warming has ended at Lake City Community Center (added on 12/30)
    • Address: 12531 28th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125.
    • Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Note: as of Thursday, December 30th, all Seattle Parks programs and facilities will be closed except for the Parks operated warming centers listed above. Seattle Public Libraries: All library branches will be closed today 12/30, but plan to open tomorrow, 12/31.

If you are in need of shelter, call 2-1-1 or 1-877-211-9274. The King County Regional Homelessness Authority Cold Weather Shelter notice provides addition resources and guidance. Parents or guardians caring for one or more child 18 years or younger can get help identifying emergency shelter by calling the Coordinated Family Intake Line at 206-245-1026 between 8am – 11:30pm, 365-days a year. In addition, the YWCA’s women and family shelter intake line can be reached at 206-461-4882. For an emergency, call 9-1-1.

The Homelessness Outreach and Provider Ecosystem (HOPE) Team is coordinating outreach and shelter referrals into the City’s temporary severe weather shelters, and other City funded shelters, in partnership with our contracted outreach providers. The HOPE Team, along with SPD and SPR staff members, will also help people connect to transportation options for individuals travelling to shelter locations. Available staff from the Seattle Fire Department’s Health One team will conduct welfare visits to people living unsheltered and support efforts to distribute weather supplies including handwarmers, emergency blankets, hats, and gloves, and to share shelter location information.

Severe weather operation and response updates from other HSD Divisions include:

  • Home Delivered Meal programs are tracking the weather and coordinating any delivery changes with drivers and clients to ensure all clients have sufficient meals during the weather event.
  • Medicaid case management program staff have been alerted to weather issues that could impact clients through the holiday weekend and into next week. Updated case lists will be distributed to assist teams with identifying and contacting clients most in need of planning and resources.
  • Other aging network programs, including Senior Centers and Congregate Meals programs, have been operating hybrid models (in-person, virtual, delivery) due to the pandemic. Severe weather and holiday schedules may impact operations.

The City and HSD have been working hard to stand up new 24/7 enhanced shelters and tiny house villages over the fall and winter, opening 350 new non-congregate shelter spaces in the last three months alone. The City anticipates funding over 2,800 total shelter spaces by the end of the year, a 700-shelter unit increase over last year’s levels (Q4 2020). Additionally, 92% of City-funded shelter spaces are now 24/7 enhanced with wraparound onsite services – this compares to 75% pre-pandemic (Q4 2019).

Emergency Severe Weather Shelter Guests:

Shelter Census 12/25 12/26 12/27 12/28 12/29 12/30 12/31 1/1 1/2 Total 
Compass Housing 28 81 54 51 55 53 41  *21  32 416
Exhibition Hall 59 107 132 142 142 134 118  157 130 1,121
City Hall X X 30 52 55 70 62  68 *60 397
West Seattle X X 12 11 11 16 15  18 15 98
Seattle Mennonite Church X 10 14 15 13 10 6  7 9 84
God’s Lil Acre X 0 0 0 0 0 0  0 0 0
Totals 87 198 242 271 276 283 242  271 246 2,116
(duplicated)
Capacity 180 265 351 371 371 371 371  379 379 
* Indicates a preliminary count that may be updated later as it was taken prior to midnight instead of the morning of closure

Benu Community Home and Friendship Heights Tiny House Village Open

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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

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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

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

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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