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Social Services Projects
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) sets aside $81 billion to protect the vulnerable – the young, the old, the homeless – who are hit especially hard during tough economic times. Projects that address homelessness, provide job opportunities for older workers, provide meals for seniors, provide childcare for low-income families and support community health centers are just some examples of how this money could be spent.
Assisting families & individuals in need
The ARRA provides the federal Department of Health & Human Services' (HHS) Office of Community Services with $12 million for 48 grants to state, local and tribal governments to build their capacity to provide nonprofit organizations with capacity building training and technical assistance. Project funds cannot be used for direct services. The grants are capped at $250,000 but may be issued for lesser amounts. Seattle submitted its proposal on July 7, 2009.
Proposal |
Amount
Requested
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Source
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Status |
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PeoplePoint Capacity Building
PeoplePoint helps low- and moderate-income families and individuals apply for free or reduced-cost child care and preschool, energy and utilities, food, and health insurance, all in the same place at the same time. This program is centered around the people seeking assistance. Seattle provides these individuals and families with information, assesses their eligibility, and helps them apply for the benefits for which they might be eligible. PeoplePoint is jointly sponsored by the City of Seattle Human Services Department and Public Health - Seattle & King-County. Seattle will use the grant to purchase the technology needed to help people apply for the full range of beneifts more easily, as well as equipment for community-based PeoplePoint access sites. Funds will also be available for translations and training and technical assistance for nonprofits.
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$250,000
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HHS
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Recommended for funding
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Community Services Block Grant
The ARRA provides the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services $1 billion in additional funds to the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program for Fiscal Year 2009. The program provides federal funding, technical assistance and support to 31 statewide Community Action Agencies and their associations to both ease the effects of poverty and eliminate the causes of poverty. The State of Washington received $11.8 million in additional funds, which are being distributed through the Department of Department of Community, Trade & Economic Development (CTED) among 31 community action agencies. On June 15, 2009, Seattle submitted its proposal.
Proposal |
Amount
Requested
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Source
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Status |
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Seattle Conservation Corps (SCC)
The Seattle Conservation Corps, established in 1986, is a unique Parks and Recreation program that gives back in two ways: it trains formerly troubled people for viable, living-wage jobs, and the Corps collectively do great work in Seattle parks and for other municipal agencies and employers on a contract basis. It provides homeless adults opportunities to train and work in a structured program that provides them with job skills and carries out projects that benefit our citizens and our environment. Seattle proposes using the grant money to provide emergency rent assistance for SCC participants, upgrade computers at the SCC learning center, and hire staff to support expansion into the field of green jobs.
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$258,583
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CTED
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Recommended for funding
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Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing
The ARRA provides the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) $1.5 billion to invest in preventing homelessness and enabling the rapid re-housing of homeless families and individuals, helping them re-enter the labor market more quickly and preventing the further destabilization of neighborhoods. On March 27, 2009, Mayor Greg Nickels announced Seattle will receive $5 million in Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program grants from HUD. The funds are to be used to support households that are most in need of temporary assistance and most likely to achieve stable housing. After reviewing potential projects that meet the stringent requirements of the ARRA, on May 18, 2009, the City submitted its application outlining its proposed priority projects. Seattle received the award on July 16, 2009.
Proposal |
Amount
Requested
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Source
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Status |
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Seattle's Proposal
Seattle will spend $3.2 million for homeless prevention and $1.5 million for rapid re-housing of those who have lost a place to live. Financial assistance will include short- and medium-term rental assistance, security deposits, utility deposits, utility payments, moving cost assistance, and motel or hotel vouchers. In addition, Seattle will offer housing relocation and stabilization services, including case management, outreach, housing search and placement, legal services, mediation, and credit repair. The remainder of the grant will be used for data collection and evaluation, as well as program administration.
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$5 million
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HUD
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Recommended for funding
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Helping Women Who Have Been Victims of Domestic Violence
The ARRA provides the federal Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women $43 million for its Transitional Housing Assistance Program which provides holistic, victim-centered transitional housing services and related support services that move individuals into permanent housing. Eligible applicants include states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and other organizations with a documented history of effective work concerning domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Seattle has applied for a grant under this program; the grant recipients are expected to be announced by June 1, 2009.
Proposal |
Amount
Requested
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Source
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Status |
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Access to Jobs
Seattle will create new jobs for employment services personnel to assist victims of domestic violence and increase the ability of victims to in obtaining jobs through employment counseling, job training, and educational support. These employees will also be trained to counsel domestic violence victims. Referrals to these employment counselors will be made by seven domestic violence victim services agencies that provide transitional housing services in Seattle-King County. In addition, to further support both employment services activities and the move from transitional housing into permanent housing, each of the seven participating domestic violence agencies will receive an allocation of funds that may be used for child care, transportation, and/or housing costs (i.e., first and last month's rent, security deposits, utilities, credit checks, etc.) to assist with the transition from transitional housing to stable, permanent housing.
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$760,000
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DOJ OVW's Transitional Housing Assistance Program
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Not recommended for funding
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Providing Nutritious Meals for Our Senior Citizens
The ARRA provides the federal Department of Health and Human Services $100 million in grants to provide meals to tens of thousands of low-income older Americans in need. Washington State received $1.9 million of this grant money, which it in turn awarded to organizations that provide nutrition services in their communities. Seattle provides nutrition services countywide through this grant program. Its share of the state grant is $457,583 and 67 percent will be used to provide meals at senior centers and other community sites, while 33 percent will provide home-delivered meals. As a result, the number of meals served countywide will increase by 6 percent.
Helping Our Older Residents Find Employment
The ARRA provides the federal Department of Labor $120 million in grants for its Senior Community Service Employment program, a community service and work-based training program for older workers with poor employment prospects. Washington State received $350,000 of this grant to expand the number of participants assigned to community service work, particularly in high-growth job sectors, such as health care, child care, education, green jobs, energy efficiency and environmental services. Seattle administers this program countywide and its share of this grant is $75,948. The money will be used to place seven to 12 people (depending on turnover) in host agencies where they will receive training wages for 12 to 18 months and help searching for unsubsidized jobs at the end of their training. The jobs started in April 2009.
We will update this page with information regarding our specific proposals as they are submitted.
Bids for federal stimulus projects are posted on the City Purchasing Bid Advertisements & Announcements Web site.
Updated: October 6, 2009
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