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Dear Neighbor,
We are fresh off a Town Hall held earlier this month where we discussed the City’s response to homelessness, looked at how we will use our federal relief funding, and answered your questions. We went over-time answering questions and everyone who did not get their question asked and answered has been offered time to meet with me one-on-one during my weekly office hours.
With the heat wave upon us, here are some resources for staying cool and protecting yourself through these high temperatures. As temperatures likely break records this weekend, please remember to take care of yourself and check-in with neighbors and loved ones. If you decide to get out on the water – always wear a lifejacket – here are ways you can stay safe on and around the water.
In this weeks’ newsletter I will update you on our plan to spend $128 million of federal funding, mark Seattle’s progress in its vaccination efforts, provide updates on the work of my Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee, and share my thoughts on West Green Lake Way North.
At the bottom of the newsletter are a number of ways you can stay engaged with me and what I am working on – please never hesitate to schedule a meeting with me – my weekly office hours are often the best part of my week!
I hope you are able to enjoy the weather this weekend.
Best,
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I hosted a Town Hall for District 6 residents focused on the City’s use of federal aid and our response to the homelessness emergency. I was joined by Director Ben Noble of the City Budget Office, Director Emily Alvarado of the Office of Housing, and CEO Marc Dones who recently began leading our regional homelessness authority.
You can watch the Town Hall here.
Director Alvarado also mentioned some helpful resources and we promised to include them in this newsletter:
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Rent help for tenants - The United Way of King County, the City of Seattle and King County partnered to provide rent and utility relief to households most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Once you sign up to request assistance, you will be entered in to Tenant Pool and each week King County will randomly select registered tenants to participate in the program. Selected tenants can receive up to 9 months of back rent and 3 months of forward assistance.
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Help for Landlords – If you are a landlord that owns 4 or fewer units the United Way of King County has a form that you can fill out to see if you are eligible for direct assistance.
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Help for Homeowners - If you are a homeowner struggling with the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is help for you. The Washington Homeownership Resource Center can help you navigate the foreclosure process and figure out the necessary steps to prevent foreclosure so that you can keep your home. They also have resources for home buying, home repair assistance, and refinancing. Please visit their website or call them at 1-877-894-4663 to learn more.
This was also an opportunity for me to answer questions directly from District 6 residents. Thank you to everyone who submitted a question. Thanks to your questions, I was able to discuss homelessness, housing affordability, tree protection, small business support, the closure of West Green Lake Way North, and public safety. If we could not get to your question my team will reach out to you to find a time to meet with me individually. If you would like to meet with me, sign up here.
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Federal Relief and the Seattle Rescue Plan
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On Monday, the City Council approved a plan to allocate $128 million in federal funding we received this year from the American Rescue Plan Act. These were my top priorities, and how much they were funded:
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addressing the homelessness emergency - $49.2 million
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assisting neighborhood small businesses - $22 million
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supporting childcare access and providers - $8 million
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Reopening the City - $7.6 million
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Café Streets - $300,000
Council Budget Chair Mosqueda, Council President González, and Mayor Durkan worked together to propose the Seattle Rescue Plan, a blueprint for spending this funding which includes many of the priorities I have advocated for. I was heartened to see this collaborative approach to addressing Seattle’s needs. I also believe that we could do even more to fund the acquisition of permanent affordable housing, so I amended the proposal to increase the amount we plan to dedicate to affordable housing in 2021-2022 by an additional $20 million, bringing the total to $60 million. You can learn more about the Seattle Rescue Plan here.
It is important to note that if we had not passed the Jump Start legislation last year, these dollars could not have gone to these community priorities because the federal funding would have been necessary to make up for lost City revenues.
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Excessive Heat This Weekend
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This weekend will see high temperatures in Seattle and across the Puget Sound region, with highs possibly exceeding 100 degrees. Please take care of yourself over the coming days. Remember to drink plenty of water, limit strenuous activities, and do not leave children or pets in hot cars. Libraries and public pools or wading pools are good places to cool down in this heat.
The City is opening additional air-conditioned libraries across town this week. For Northwest Seattle residents, the Ballard, Broadview and Greenwood Branch Libraries will all be open from 10am – 6pm on Tuesdays – Saturdays. Lifeguards will also be at certain beaches for the summer season starting on Saturday, including West Green Lake.
More information about City resources during this heat wave can be found here, including hours for libraries, pools and wading pools, spray parks, and lifeguarded beaches. Additionally, the Greenwood Senior Center will be opening space for community members to cool down – call 206-297-0875 for more information.
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ICYMI: Fremont Summer Solstice Art Week
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While we were unable to come together this year from the Fremont Solstice Parade, the Fremont Chamber of Commerce adapted accordingly to ensure this year’s solstice did not go uncelebrated in Fremont! Last week the Fremont Chamber hosted the Fremont Summer Solstice Art Week, featuring art walks through the neighborhood, stationary versions of the parade floats we usually see, and fun activities throughout the week. It all culminated this past weekend with a visit from the Seattle Art Cars and the Fremont Sunday Market. Learn more about last week’s activities here.
I can’t wait to be back at the Fremont Solstice Parade next year, and I encourage you to continue shopping, dinning, and art-walking in Fremont all summer long.
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West Green Lake Way North
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I’ve heard from many neighbors about the closure of West Green Lake Way North. We need this street to be open for two-way vehicular traffic and complete the two-way protected bike lane along this corridor. The road is wide enough for both and would only require re-stripping of the lanes. We need to complete the network of bike lanes around the lake. As of today W Green Lake Way N is the missing link of bike lanes around the lake.
Since late last year, I have been asking for West Green Lake Way North to be re-opened and was pleased with the compromise put forward allowing for one-directional traffic. Unfortunately, many of our neighbors were driving the wrong way on the street, or driving in the closed portion of the street. This is why West Green Lake Way North has been closed in both directions once again until a better design is created.
Recently, when the City Council considered an amendment to encourage SDOT to close this street permanently, I brought my own amendment to ensure that we prioritize this better approach for West Green Lake Way North. At every opportunity I ask for updates from SDOT and the Parks Department, and I will keep you updated on what is shared with me.
Click here to see my remarks about West Green Lake Way North from May. I've repeated these remarks every week since then at Council Briefing.
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Earlier this month, Seattle became the first major city in the country to fully-vaccinate 70% of eligible residents. In the weeks since, more of our neighbors have been vaccinated, with nearly 80% of those eligible getting at least one dose of the vaccine. This week, King County joined Seattle in fully-vaccinating 70% of those eligible. District 6 also has particularly high vaccination rates, as can be seen in this recent Seattle Times article. This is all incredible news and demonstrates Seattle’s leadership in protecting our communities and recovering equitably from this pandemic.
While the vast majority of our community has now been vaccinated, unvaccinated individuals and those who have not completed full-vaccination are still at risk of contracting COVID-19. With new, more transmissible variants spreading in King County, it is so important to protect yourself and your community. Vaccines are safe, effective, and free. You can find a vaccine near you here. And you can learn more about the City’s vaccination efforts here.
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Greenwood Senior Center Community Property Transfer
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Recently the City Council passed legislation I sponsored to transfer ownership of the Greenwood Senior Center to the Phinney Neighborhood Association, who has been operating it for more than a decade. This is the third such property transfer the City has made, following the transfer of Byrd Barr Place and the Central Area Senior Center earlier this year. Phinney Neighborhood Association had previously leased the site in exchange for operating the Greenwood Senior Center.
This property transfer requires the PNA to continue operating the senior center and give the community greater control over this neighborhood asset. Additionally, any future development of housing on the property would be required to be affordable housing, with at least half of the units affordable to households making 60% of area median income or less.
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Flexibility for Religious Institution Affordable Housing
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The Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee, which I chair, has been considering legislation to provide zoning flexibility to religious institutions when they are building affordable housing on their property. The legislation would allow religious institutions to build slightly taller or denser buildings to provide more affordable housing on each property. This is an exciting opportunity that will make it easier to build affordable homes for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.
On Wednesday, the committee held a public hearing on the legislation and considered amendments, including one that we passed to collect data and monitor the results of these changes. I look forward to passing the legislation next Monday at the City Council meeting.
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Subscribe to My Newsletter
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If this email was forwarded to you by a friend, I encourage you to sign-up for my newsletter! Every two weeks I send out a newsletter about the happenings in our district, updates from City Hall, and progress reports on the work we are doing to make life better for all of us in Seattle.
To stay up to date, sign up for my newsletter here!
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Every week I meet with D6 residents to hear about issues impacting you daily. I love talking directly to D6ers, it is often the best part of my week. If you would like to meet with me, please use this form to set up a time. I meet with residents during the day and evening too. I look forward to speaking with you soon!
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Every Monday morning, I update the City Council on issues in District 6 and the work my office is doing that week. These updates are a helpful way to follow along with our work. I also post these videos weekly on my website and social media. You can view the latest updates and past videos on my website here.
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If you need assistance, please reach out to my office:
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