{"id":20949,"date":"2024-11-21T16:21:27","modified":"2024-11-21T16:21:29","slug":"council-passes-budget-closing-250-plus-million-deficit-making-record-investment-in-affordable-housing-protecting-services","link":"https:\/\/council.seattle.gov\/2024\/11\/21\/council-passes-budget-closing-250-plus-million-deficit-making-record-investment-in-affordable-housing-protecting-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Council passes budget, closing $250-plus million deficit, making record investment in affordable housing, protecting services"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Councilmember <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/seattle.gov\/council\/strauss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Dan Strauss<\/strong><\/a> (District 6), Chair of the <a href=\"https:\/\/seattle.gov\/council\/committees\/select-budget-committee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Select Budget Committee<\/a>, announced the passage of the City of Seattle\u2019s 2025-2026 budget, successfully closing a $250-plus million dollar budget shortfall while making all-time-high investments in affordable housing and other critical services.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn one of the toughest budget years in recent memory, we have come together, made smart decisions, and protected the services our city depends on while making strides toward greater financial sustainability. We know the same inflation that helped cause our budget shortfall is being felt hardest by working class Seattleites. Too many are struggling to get their everyday needs met. We won\u2019t leave them behind. This is a budget for everyone \u2013 a budget that builds towards a better, safer, more affordable Seattle for all,\u201d said <strong>Councilmember Strauss<\/strong>.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Highlights from the budget<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Investments aimed at addressing the most urgent issues affecting Seattleites include:\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Affordable housing: <\/strong>Seattle\u2019s largest-ever investment in affordable housing \u2013 more than $340 million \u2013 five times as much as the City was spending before the pandemic ($69 million in 2019).\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Public Safety: <\/strong>Record-high investments in public safety programs, including expanding Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) citywide and seven days a week, more positions in the 911 call center to answer call quicker, and expanding successful community-based programs like We Deliver Care.\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Homelessness: <\/strong>Funding the creation of new non-congregate shelters, saving shelter beds that were at risk of closing, new investments in transitional housing programs, expanding the Unified Care Team, new investments to help RV residents transition into shelter and housing, and $4 million to help YouthCare create a workforce training and affordable housing project for homeless youth.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Public Health<\/strong>: New funding to help address substance use disorder, including new detox and inpatient treatment beds, purchase of a mobile medication unit, and additional recovery support services.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Affordability: <\/strong>$7.1 million in additional rental assistance to help people stay housed, increased funding for food banks and meal programs to address food insecurity, and additional funding to help working-class families afford preschool.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While some city jobs will be reduced in light of the City\u2019s budget deficit, Councilmember Strauss worked to reduce layoffs and protect all City workers jobs for at least the next six months \u2013 potentially allowing them to find other jobs with the City and creating a smoother transition.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That includes restoring all jobs and original programming at the <a href=\"https:\/\/council.seattle.gov\/2024\/11\/13\/council-announces-details-on-plans-to-save-seattle-channel-programming-create-plan-for-continued-success\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Seattle Channel<\/a> that were scheduled for reductions.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThank you to my fellow councilmembers, Mayor Bruce Harrell, our expert analysts, and our entire community who showed up and made their voice heard throughout this process. We couldn\u2019t have done it without you,\u201d <strong>Councilmember Strauss <\/strong>concluded.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em># # #<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false}}