WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today announced the 15 Community Project Funding Requests he submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill.
Local leaders and organizations are celebrating the announcement as an important step forward for the realization of these projects, which will make investments across the Ninth District in mental and behavioral health care, affordable housing, public transportation, criminal justice, public safety, education, technology, small business, local economy, and more.
See below for statements of support from local leaders, organizations, and governments.
Arc of King County – Arc Legacy Center: Access to Affordable Housing and Services for Individuals with Disabilities
“The new Arc Legacy Center will help fill a critical gap in King County's services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), allowing us to streamline access to affordable housing, supportive services, public assistance, and schools, jobs, and transit. We have far reaching community support for this project, including our close partner, Mercy Housing NW. We are so thankful for Representative Smith's support of this project, and we will be able to leverage this commitment to raise the remaining public and private funds needed to complete the project. Altogether, this work will significantly improve quality of life and long term health for people with IDD, and ensure that our community lives with dignity, purpose, connection, and care.” – Robin Tatsuda, Executive Director of The Arc of King County
“We are thrilled to partner with The Arc of King County to build their new home, “The Arc Legacy Center”. Additionally, we are creating twenty-six accessible, transit oriented, and permanently affordable homes for persons with Intellectual and Development Disabilities as part of Mercy Housing Northwest’s 130-unit affordable development at the Angle Lake light rail station. This represents an amazing opportunity to expand The Arc’s mission and reimagine housing options for the IDD community in a well-designed, affordable, supportive community.” – Joe Thompson, President, Mercy Housing Northwest
City of Federal Way – Downtown Civic & Community Space
“The city of Federal Way greatly appreciates Congressman Smith’s support for our new Civic and Community Space in downtown Federal Way. The new community space will be a vital resource for the residents of Federal Way, providing a safe and welcoming environment for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together and connect with each other. The space will offer a wide range of activities and programs, including educational workshops, cultural events, community markets and recreational activities. This project is an important step in our ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of life for our residents and visitors and build a more connected, engaged, and thriving community.” – Mayor Jim Ferrell, City of Federal Way
City of SeaTac – Airport Station Area Pedestrian Improvement Project
“Improving the lives of our underserved community is one of the most important things we can do as a city. This project will create safer and better connections between our residents and mass transit. Once completed, it will allow our community to better access their jobs, schools, and community resources.” – Mayor Jake Simpson, City of SeaTac
City of Seattle – Civilian Assisted Response & Engagement (CARE) Department
“The City of Seattle is creating a new paradigm for emergency response through a third department that will work alongside Police and Fire, expanding our public safety toolkit and meeting the diversity of community needs. This innovative new department, the Civilian Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department, will address the underlying health and social issues that lead to many emergency calls and help community members in their moment of need, and launching it is a priority for my administration to improve safety outcomes. We are grateful to Rep. Adam Smith for his support for the CARE Department as we reimagine community safety.” – Mayor Bruce Harrell, City of Seattle
Indian American Community Services – IACS Community Center
“Indian American Community Services (IACS) provides support services for all ages and life stages in our immigrant refugee community with intent to reach out to our partner organizations and communities to share in the resources and spaces offered by the community center thereby creating a thriving ecosystem for all communities.” – Lalita Uppala, Executive Director, Indian American Community Services
King County Sexual Assault Resource Center – Technology and Data Project to Benefit Survivors of Sexual Assault
“Serving our community means not only having the right people in place, but also the technology they need to maximize efficiency and provide data view-through to better inform our work and priorities. The role of technology is often overlooked; we are thrilled that Congressman Smith recognizes its importance.” – Mary Ellen Stone, Chief Executive Officer, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC)
Sound Transit – South Renton Transit Center
“The South Renton Transit Center will be a major connection hub for Sound Transit’s Stride bus rapid transit line, linking communities along I-405 and SR 518 all the way from Burien to Lynnwood. The Transit Center will be crucial to ensuring South King County has access to a high-capacity, integrated transit network, with connecting service on King County Metro. We’re grateful to Rep. Smith for recognizing the importance of this project and including it for consideration in the FY 2024 appropriations bill.” – Sound Transit Board Chair and King County Executive Dow Constantine
Weld Seattle – 1426 Jackson Reintegration Resource Center
“Weld Seattle strongly believes in replacing barriers with opportunities. Once completed, our Reentry Resource Center will offer access to housing, employment, mental health and other wraparound services to individuals reentering the community from incarceration, homelessness, and substance use disorder. We are humbled by the congressional support from Representative Smith as it demonstrates their faith in the efficacy of this model in increasing public safety, enhancing service accessibility, and generating community engagement surrounding these high-visibility issues that impact our region.” – Patrick Arney, Executive Director, Weld Seattle
Read additional statements of support from Weld Seattle’s community partners here.
YMCA of Greater Seattle – Severson House Renovations (transitional housing)
"The affordable housing crisis in the Greater Seattle Area requires our urgent, intentional action as a collective. The Y is committed to being part of the solution. The Severson House renovations will preserve and improve existing transitional housing for homeless young adults ages 18 to 24 in South King County. Investing in affordable housing for these young people is investing in the future of our communities.” – Loria Yeadon, President & CEO of YMCA of Greater Seattle
Find more information about the FY 2024 Community Project Funding requests here.
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