Editor's Note: The above video about the Seattle Rescue Package was originally published in May 2021.
SEATTLE - Monday saw the Seattle City Council build on its $128.4 million Seattle Rescue Package by passing a second rescue plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic worth more than $52 million in federal funds.
The council decided to give more than half of the money to rental assistance, allocating nearly $29 million to organizations like United Way of King County and the Office of Housing.
The city said the funding would help low-income residents pay for things like the internet as well as fund homeless prevention services.
The plan was passed unanimously through the council, being touted as a collaborative effort between Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, Council Chair Teresa Mosqueda, Council President M. Lorena Gonzalez and Councilmember Lisa Herbold.
Focus on rental assistance and homeless prevention comes as many residents eye an end to the eviction moratorium on Sept. 30 amid the surging COVID-19 delta variant, causing many companies to roll back their return-to-office plans or implement vaccination mandates on their employees.
“Many Seattle families are still struggling financially and unable to pay their rent, many seniors are still isolated from their loved ones and communities, and our transportation systems struggle with ridership as more businesses push back their return-to-office dates,” said Mosqueda. “While these are targeted federal dollars that must be allocated to certain spending categories, I know this latest infusion of $52.2 million will serve our City’s recovery by boosting relief to our most impacted communities.”
Durkan’s previous rescue package, passed in June, focused more on solutions to homelessness and small business recovery, putting more than $70 million toward those efforts.
The new rescue plan also gives $13.5 million to transportation projects like the Madison Street Bus Rapid Transit and funding to make up for lost revenue from the Streetcar and Monorail.
Another $7.8 million will help seniors with case management, meal delivery and mental health, and just over $2 million will help McCaw Hall, an events venue at Seattle Center owned by the city.
The city is expecting another $116 million in flexible COVID-19 federal relief funds in May 2022.