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Human Interests

Seattle Human Services news and events

2014 Notice of Funding Availability

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This notice is to let you know that HSD’s 2014 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) has been released and is posted on the HSD Funding Opportunities website (http://www.seattle.gov/humanservices/funding/).

Check out the website to download the NOFA. We plan to release two funding opportunities on July 21st – the Food and Meal Request for Investment (RFI) and the Senior Centers RFI. Please let Krista Díaz know if you have any questions (krista.diaz@seattle.gov or 684-0322).

Notice Of Funding Availability (NOFA)

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This summer the Human Services Department will release our first Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). The NOFA will provide an overview of HSD’s guiding principles, investment priorities, theory of change and the new Outcomes Framework pilot, a results-based accountability strategy recently approved by the Mayor.

Additionally, the NOFA will announce HSD’s upcoming investment opportunities and standard submission requirements for agencies interested in applying for funding. Two Requests for Investment (RFI) that align with the Outcomes Framework pilot will be released in the weeks following the NOFA, for HSD’s Senior Centers and Food & Meal investments.

The individual RFIs will provide additional details on each funding opportunity and application requirements specific to each investment area. Releasing the NOFA prior to the release of the RFIs will allow interested agencies to review HSD’s investment priorities prior to applying for funding through the Senior Centers and Food & Meal RFIs.

$14 million for homeless services

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The Seattle Human Services Department has announced funding awards for the Communities Supporting Safe & Stable Housing (CSSSH) program, a total of $14.3 million for 2013.

In addition to many agencies funded previously, these awards will support populations of homeless people who have been underserved, including seniors, youth, immigrants and refugees, and Native Americans. At total of 25 community agencies and 64 programs were funded through two procurement processes:

  • A Request for Investments (RFI) process, open to agencies providing day center and placement as well as stabilization and support services for people who are homeless; and
  • A Letter of Intent (LOI) process for agencies that provide shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing services; LOI applicants were rated only on their responses to questions related to the investment principles (see below).

Among the organizations (and the people they serve) that were given contracts for the first time for homeless services:

  • Pike Market Senior Center serving senior citizens
  • Neighborhood House serving immigrants and refugees
  • Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets serving homeless youth
  • Seattle Indian Center serving Native Americans

In 2012, HSD released the CSSSH Investment Plan to improve the City’s ability to prevent and end homelessness, while maintaining its commitment to providing safe and available shelters and essential services for people who need them. The plan created a set of investment principles which set clear expectations and standards for all providers seeking HSD funds:

  1. Provide culturally relevant and linguistically competent services
  2. Maintain high-quality standards for facilities and program operations
  3. Commit to neighborhood health and safety standards
  4. Coordinate and integrate services with community networks and mainstream service systems
  5. Collect and submit high quality data using the Safe Harbors Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)

2 new funding opportunities

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The Seattle Human Services Department is seeking proposals for two new funding opportunities:

  • A Request for Investment (RFI) for community organizing and leadership development activities with immigrants, refugees and other communities of color. Approximately $100,000 in General Funds are available. Applications are due on November 15th, 2012. Initial awards will be made for the period of January 1, 2013 to June 30, 2013.
  • Request for Investment (RFI) for services that promote the psychological, social and physical well-being of children served in the Step Ahead preschool program, which is funded through the Families & Education Levy. Approximately $200,400 from the 2011 Families & Education Levy is available. Applications are due on November 8th, 2012. Funding awards will be made for the period, January 1st, 2013 to August 31st, 2013.

 For more information on both of these RFIs, please visit this Web site.

 

Homeless services Investment Plan, RFI released

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The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) has released the final Communities Supporting Safe & Stable Housing Investment Plan. At the same time the department released a Request for Investment (RFI) that is related to the plan.  The plan was revised based on comments HSD received during a three-week public comment period in May.

The purpose of the plan is to fundamentally improve the City of Seattle’s ability to prevent and end homelessness, while maintaining its commitment to providing safe and accessible shelters and supportive services for people who need them. The strategy is to create a set of priorities and principles and then make certain that City resources support those priorities. For a copy of the plan and background information, please visit HSD’s Initiatives Web page. For a copy of the RFI, please visit the Funding Web page.

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‘Request for investment’ for new citizens program

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The Seattle Human Services Department has issued a “request for investment”  (RFI) to provide naturalization assistance for low-income immigrants and refugees who live in Seattle and King County. Approximately $1.1 million is available to assist refugees and immigrants to obtain U.S. citizenship. The deadline to submit applications is 5 p.m. July 30, 2010. Initial awards will be made for the period of January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2011.

Contact Ann-Margaret Webb at ann-margaret.webb@seattle.gov or 206-615-1112 to request paper copies of the RFI.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend one of the following RFI information meetings:

Thursday, June 24, 2010
10 a.m. – noon
Garfield Community Center
2323 E Cherry St.
Seattle, WA 98122

Tuesday, June 29, 2010
2 – 4 p.m.
Garfield Community Center
2323 E Cherry St.
Seattle, WA 98122

For more information, please visit the department’s RFI Web site.