City of Seattle launches $16 million Seattle Relief Fund to help low-income residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
One-time direct cash assistance available to Seattle families, young people, and artists/culture workers
Additional $5.8 million distributed to low-income immigrants through Seattle COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund
The City of Seattle launched a new Seattle Relief Fund – a $16 million lifeline to help low-income residents who have been disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes households that were unable to access state unemployment, had no health insurance, didn’t receive federal stimulus payments, or experienced housing instability or mental health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This new fund builds on $6.5 million distributed to low-income immigrants and community-based organizations already with Seattle Rescue Funds.
Award amounts are between $1,000 and $3,000 depending on household size. The fund is open to all eligible Seattle residents regardless of their citizenship or immigration status. Eligible applicants must be 18 years old or older, have incomes under 50 percent of Seattle’s area median income (less than $40,500 for an individual or $57,850 for a family of four), and have at least one of these situations apply to the individual or to a household member:
- Live within the boundaries of the city of Seattle, or
- Be enrolled in the Seattle Promise program, or
- Be enrolled in Seattle Public Schools, or
- Be an artist/cultural worker who has owned or rented an art studio or rehearsal space within the boundaries of the City of Seattle at any time since March 2020.
Applicants can access the online application in one of eight languages. In-language help to assist with application completion is offered from community-based organizations (see below).