Seattle outlines plans to spend $128 million in federal COVID relief money

SEATTLE — Seattle officials on Thursday announced plans to spend $128 million in federal pandemic recovery funds, emphasizing help for those who have suffered most.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, Council President Lorena Gonzalez, and Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda said they planned to spend $49 million on affordable housing and addressing the homelessness crisis.

According to a city presentation, “Seattle’s Rescue Plan will help more than 750 households by moving more than 450 households into safer spaces in 2021, create 300 new permanent homes in 2021 and 2022, and invest in tiny-home villages.”

The city also plans to spend $25 million on direct cash assistance for people in need.

Eligibility details are still being worked out, but the plan is modeled after a program last year that provided about 3,300 immigrant and refugee households with between $1,000 and $3,000.

The spending plan also includes $22 million in stabilization grants for nonprofit and community organizations and nearly $15 million for reopening city programs and services.

The spending bill will be introduced at the city council the first week of June, for possible passage later in the month.

This is the first spending plan for federal money.

Seattle Rescue Plan 2 is expected to be released this summer.

In all, the city expects to receive nearly $300 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, including $232 million in flexible, local funds.

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