A roundup of news and announcements we don’t want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle.
by Vee Hua 華婷婷
Nearly $18M in Federal Funding to Support South End Community Care Efforts
Nearly $18 million in federal funds have been allocated by the Biden administration to the City of Seattle for investments in public safety, health care, transportation, housing, economic development, and other services for underserved and vulnerable populations, according to Rep. Adam Smith.
Members of Congress were encouraged to submit potential Community Project Funding requests. The funding will go toward 15 projects across the 9th Congressional District, which includes Seattle, Renton, and SeaTac.
Over $1.9 million will go toward the City’s Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department, which is focused on crisis care response, primarily through the operation of 911 services. In cases of nonviolent, non-criminal instances of mental health and substance abuse, CARE also provides a wellness-focused alternative to the Seattle Fire Department and the Seattle Police Department.
Other projects supported by the federal funds include ethnic community centers, housing projects, and more. The amounts and projects are:
- $1,926,000 for the City of Seattle for the Community Assisted Response and Engagement Department (Seattle-wide)
- $790,000 for the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center for the Technology and Data Project to Benefit Survivors of Sexual Assault (King County, district-wide)
- $959,752 for the City of Renton for the Monroe Avenue Northeast Stormwater Quality Treatment and Infiltration Facility (Renton)
- $500,000 for the City of SeaTac for the Airport Station Area Pedestrian Improvement Project (SeaTac)
- $1,000,000 for Cham Refugees Community for the Cham Community Center (Rainier Valley)
- $2,200,000 for Indian American Community Services for the Community Center Improvement Project (Kent)
- $500,000 for the City of Bellevue for Digital Equity for Affordable Housing (Bellevue)
- $850,000 for the City of Federal Way for the Federal Way Downtown Civic & Community Space (Federal Way)
- $850,000 for the Filipino Community of Seattle for the Filipino Community Village 2 (Rainier Valley)
- $4,000,000 for Weld Seattle for the 1426 Jackson Reintegration Resource Center (Seattle)
- $750,000 for the YMCA of Greater Seattle for the Severson House Renovations (Auburn)
- $500,000 for Sound Transit for the South Renton Transit Center (Renton)
- $850,000 for The Arc of King County for The Arc Legacy Center (SeaTac)
- $1,166,279 for Abubakr Islamic Center for the Wadajir Residences & Souq (Tukwila)
- $1,000,000 for Africatown Community Land Trust for Walker Street Homes (Central District)
Learn more about projects in the 9th District via Congressman Adam Smith’s website.
The Seattle Public Library Faces Shortened Hours Through Early Summer
Because of Seattle City budget shortfalls, certain branches of The Seattle Public Library (SPL) have scheduled shortened service hours through at least early June. The bulk of closures will take place on weekends, with the closure locations spread throughout the city. Certain branches — including the main downtown library — will continue with their hours unchanged.
Overall, SPL branches have struggled to maintain regular hours since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. With similar problems continuing to persist, SPL branches are minimizing their hours because of concerns around safety, lack of workers, and the citywide hiring freeze, which prohibits the hiring of new employees in most City departments, outside of those deemed “essential” or given special permission.
Libraries are deemed essential, and SPL does not need to follow the mandated hiring freeze. They voluntarily chose to follow it, to help alleviate pressures from the City’s projected $240 million budget deficit for the 2025 fiscal year. To close that gap, the Seattle City Council must find ways to generate new revenue or continue to cut City programs.
Though SPL has hired new employees since hitting its lowest staffing levels since 2019, the number of new hires has been insufficient because of new increases in employee wage minimums and in the number of employees who are taking leave. This has led to unpredictable library closures citywide in recent years.
SPL hopes to alleviate such unpredictability by predetermining a schedule for closures. Chief Librarian Tom Fay told The Seattle Times that SPL hopes to avoid summer library closures by hiring an adequate number of employees by early June.
“Those workers will act as a bandage until the fall, when the library system will have a better sense of its long-term budget picture and can adjust accordingly,” The Seattle Times reported.
No closures are planned for the Central Library, Ballard, Delridge, Greenwood, and University Branches. All other SPL branches will face reductions in hours:
- Beacon Hill Branch
- Closed Sunday, April 14, April 28, May 12, and May 26
- Broadview Branch
- Closed on Sundays through June 4
- Capitol Hill Branch
- Opening at noon on Thursdays and closed on Sundays through June 4
- Columbia Branch
- Closed Saturdays through June 4
- Douglass-Truth Branch
- Closed Saturdays from April 20 through June 4
- Fremont Branch
- Closed Fridays through June 4
- Green Lake Branch
- Currently closed for seismic retrofit construction
- High Point Branch
- Closed Sundays through June 4
- International District/Chinatown Branch
- Closed Fridays through June 4
- Lake City Branch
- Closed Sundays through June 4
- Madrona Sally-Goldmark Branch
- Closed Wednesdays and Fridays through June 4
- Magnolia Branch
- Closed Sundays through June 4
- Montlake Branch
- Closed Tuesdays and Fridays through June 4
- NewHolly Branch
- Closed Mondays through June 4
- Northeast Branch
- Closed Fridays through June 4
- Northgate Branch
- Closed Saturdays through June 4
- Queen Anne Branch
- Closed Saturdays from April 20 through June 4
- Rainier Beach Branch
- Closed Sunday, April 21, May 5, May 19, and June 2
- South Park Branch
- Closed Mondays through June 4
- Southwest Branch
- Closed Saturdays from April 20 through June 4
- Wallingford Branch
- Closed Fridays and Saturdays through June 4
- West Seattle Branch
- Closed Fridays through June 4
More details about the library closures can be found at The Seattle Public Library Shelf Talk Blog.
4Culture Offers Last Wave of COVID-19 Recovery Funds for Cultural Producers
Through 4Culture’s Cultural Producers Recovery Fund, cultural producers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can receive up to $12,000 to support their practice. The funds are the last wave of available recovery funds that were disbursed by the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and that 4Culture has helped facilitate.
This round of recovery funds has a more streamlined application process, and applicants will not need to provide their personal tax returns, which were required in the previous round. The amount of funds individual cultural producers may receive is determined by the recovery funds they previously received, if any, and whether they reside within a qualified Equity Investment Area.
Apply for the Cultural Producers Recovery Fund by May 8 at 5 p.m. via 4Culture’s website.
Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the editor-in-chief of REDEFINE, a co-chair of the Seattle Arts Commission, and a film educator at the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they previously served as executive director and played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences. After a recent stint as the interim managing editor at South Seattle Emerald, they are moving into production on their feature film, Reckless Spirits, which is a metaphysical, multilingual POC buddy comedy. Learn more about them at linktr.ee/hellomynameisvee.
📸 Featured Image: The Biden administration has allocated nearly $18 million in federal funds to Seattle for public safety, health care, transportation, housing, economic development, and services for underserved populations. Two South End projects that have received funding from this round include the Cham Community Center and Filipino Community Village 2. (Photos: Ronnie Estoque)
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