One year ago this week, following a civil rights reckoning that demanded leadership across the country confront our nation's history of systemic racism and oppression of Black, Indigenous and people of color communities (BIPOC), I committed $100 million to directly support these communities and went to work to include these investments in the 2021 budget. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw disparities magnified in all areas: education, health care, housing, child care and income inequality. We continued to see displacement pressures that are impacting BIPOC communities as Seattle continues to be the fastest growing major U.S. City.
In addition to laying out our plan for an equitable recovery with new federal funding, Seattle is making progress on the $100 million in the 2021 budget thanks to recommendations from the Equitable Communities Initiative (ECI) Task Force and the launch of the City’s Strategic Investment Fund (SIF). In addition, City Council passed the plan to move forward on participatory budgeting in the upcoming year.
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In recent months, many members of the community came together to make recommendations to address disparities with new programs and investment areas. Along with significant data that explored historical, current disparities and inequities, as well as with life-long experiences, the Task Force’s recommendations include new programs for BIPOC communities with a strong focus on building long term community wealth. The best ideas come from community and these recommendations track closely to what we’ve heard from community for years. Upon approval of City Council, new funding would be used to close disparities by:
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Building Opportunity through Small Business Support – to provide business development and technical assistance.
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Developing Diverse and Culturally Competent Educators and Education Opportunities – to provide cultural education for BIPOC youth, programs for the formerly incarcerated, and establish an equity education innovation fund.
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Accessing Affordable Housing, Land Acquisition and Generational Wealth – to establish a lease to purchase homebuyer program, an apprenticeship pipeline program, and support generational wealth.
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Increasing Positive Health Outcomes – increase food access and environmental justice, foster culturally responsive and inclusive healthcare, and enhance/ improve workforce development of healthcare providers of color.
One of the key focuses of the $100 million will be housing opportunities to prevent further displacement. This $30 million fund will help groups buy land and buildings to be used for affordable housing and other community benefits such as affordable space for business, community centers, cultural spaces, childcare, and open space. The Strategic Investment Fund is a unique opportunity to support equitable development so that all communities can continue to call Seattle home.
We face many challenges in recovery ahead, but as we continue to build back better, hope is on the horizon for communities across the City.
As always, please continue to write me at [email protected], reach out via Twitter and Facebook, and stay up-to-date on the work we’re doing for the people of Seattle on my blog.
Stay Safe, and Healthy
This week, Mayor Durkan announced her plan to invest $23 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds in small businesses and neighborhood recovery, including apprenticeships and retraining, downtown and neighborhood recovery grants, stabilization grants, small business grants, and more. The Mayor also visited small businesses owners and community leaders in the Central District to talk about the Seattle Rescue Plan funding, and how the City can best support neighborhood business districts as Seattle focuses on getting vaccinated, reopening, and building back better.
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Building off of the success of the City’s hotel-based shelter program, Mayor Durkan announced this week that the City will open hundreds of new temporary hotel-based shelters, tiny home and enhanced shelter units using Federal COVID relief funding. Investments in the City’s homelessness response – nearly $50 million – is the largest portion of the City’s American Rescue plan Act (ARPA) funds in the Seattle rescue plan. Specifically, this plan will help 750 individuals experiencing homelessness - including helping move 450 individuals into safer spaces and creating 300 new homes in addition to the other 1,000 permanent homes coming online.
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Expand Rapid Rehousing services to transition 185 households to permanent housing through 2022
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Funds to build and acquire an additional 300 permanent affordable housing units in 2021 and 2022
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Expand Safe Lots to support 25 households living in vehicles in 2021
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Flexible funding for an estimated 250 households to move off the streets or out of shelter in 2021
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Funds to support additional shelter and outreach in downtown Seattle
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Operating support for tiny home villages
This funding specifically, will provide support to communities across the City, and help to pull us out of this public health and economic crisis. Hope is on the horizon, and we know that together we can build back better.
City of Seattle and Seattle Colleges announce expanded equity scholarships, access to pre-college coursework in Summer 2021, and University of Washington transfer pathway program for Promise scholars
Leveraging new federal funding from the American Rescue Plan, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announces expansion of Seattle Promise to address impacts on students during COVID-19 and new partnerships with the University of Washington and extended tuition and program supports at Seattle Colleges. Funds will offer additional college preparation and persistence support for recent public high school graduates, particularly students of color, participating in the program. Proposed funds will also bolster Promise scholar pathways to college completion through a new partnership with the University of Washington and extended tuition and program supports at Seattle Colleges.
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This week, the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) will host pop-up vaccination clinics at breweries, business districts, farmers markets, and parks throughout Seattle. All SFD pop-ups will offer the Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer vaccines, and all Washington state residents 12 and older are eligible for vaccination. Residents who have already begun the vaccination process can receive their second dose as long as they provide proof of vaccination via their vaccine card or immunization record. Patients can access their information at https://myirmobile.com. Last week, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced that the City is closing down the majority of its fixed vaccination sites and will prioritize mobile vaccination efforts for the summer. See below, for upcoming vaccination pop-ups:
Georgetown Business District Pop-Up
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Date and Time: Saturday, June 5, 12:30 – 3 p.m.
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Location: Georgetown Trailer Park Mall, 5805 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA 98108
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Vaccines: All three vaccines; second doses are available with proof of first vaccination
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Incentive: Beer or N/A beverage on the house to all vaccinated at the pop-up
Beacon Hill Business District Pop-Up
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Date and Time: Saturday, June 5, 4:30 – 7 p.m.
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Location: Red Apple Parking Lot, 2701 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
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Vaccines: All three vaccines; second doses are available with proof of first vaccination
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Incentive: First 75 people vaccinated at the clinic get a beer on the house from Perihelion Brewery or a drink from The Station
Optimism Brewing Company Pop-Up
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Date and Time: Sunday, June 6, 12 – 3:00 p.m.
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Location: 1158 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122
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Vaccines: All three vaccines; second doses are available with proof of first vaccination
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Incentive: Beer or N/A beverage on the house to all vaccinated at the pop-up
To encourage residents and businesses to use Seattle’s streets this summer, Mayor Durkan and the Seattle Department of Transportation shared information about existing and upcoming free Street Use permits starting in June. With current and upcoming free permitting options, residents can make space in their neighborhoods for play and communal activities such as barbecues and block parties. And the recent extension of the Safe Street permits offers restaurants, retail stores, and others a terrific opportunity to increase their capacity by using the curb space or sidewalk during the warm summer months.
At Stonehouse Cafe, a historic former filling station lives on as a destination patio // Image: Amber Fouts
By Harold Scoggins, Fire Chief, Seattle Fire Department
It is hard to believe that almost a year and a half has passed since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the Puget Sound region, making our area the epicenter in the United States for the pandemic.
Early in the pandemic when COVID-19 testing was extremely limited, we recognized that firefighters on the front lines of the pandemic needed access to testing to prevent spread in the first responder workforce and to the patients we serve. After we received approval from the Washington State Department of Health to conduct testing in March 2020, we became the first in the nation to implement a testing site for first responders, conducted by first responders. This was the beginning of several pivots in our work to serve the community.
As the City department responsible for firefighting and emergency medical services, I immediately said “yes” when the Mayor asked us to help set up mass testing for the public. In April of 2020, we began to test staff and residents at long-term care facilities and adult homes, where the disease spread quickly and was causing the most suffering. By mid-summer, our effort expanded to standing up four community testing sites for the public located geographically across the city. Due to high case counts of COVID-19 in ZIP codes located in the south end and west side of the city, two of our sites (both walk-ups) were stationed in Rainier Beach and West Seattle.
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