New Countywide Survey Shows Underinvestment in Human Services, Lack of Sustainable Wages in the Nonprofit Sector

By Leon Richardson, Director, Adult Services Division Community-based, human services providers play a critical role in addressing the most pressing issues we face as a region—providing shelter and supportive housing, behavioral health treatment, legal system alternatives, and case management in King County. The pandemic, and the nationwide racial reckoning further underscore the integral role of…

Looking back: Supporting King County’s communities in 2021

Last year, 2021, was a busy year in the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS). Staff and community partners launched a new program to help house homeless veterans, provided a safe place to isolate and quarantine from COVID-19, moved residents into the first Health Through Housing Hotel, ran two mass vaccination sites, provided rent…

Important Update on EPRAP Program in King County  

Program Status Due to a lack of available funds, the King County Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program (EPRAP) is no longer accepting new applications through the EPRAP registration process as of last night, at 11:59 p.m. King County provided notice of the anticipated closure of the registration process to new applicants on February 14.   King…

Auburn Isolation and Quarantine Site Closes as Omicron Cases Decrease  

Six weeks after announcing the opening of the Auburn Isolation and Quarantine (I&Q) site, King County stopped serving guests at this facility as of Friday, February 18 due to COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations decreasing. King County will continue to operate an I&Q facility for King County residents that do not have a safe place to…

After Serving More Than 39,000 households, King County to pause new applications for the King County Rental Assistance Program 

By Leo Flor, Director of King County Department of Community & Human Services Leo FlorDirector, Department of Community & Human Services Since the program began in March 2020, King County’s Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program (EPRAP) has distributed $244 million in rent assistance and processed applications from 39,444 households. Consistent with our goal to break the historic pattern of racial ethnic disproportionality in evictions, 76 percent went to heads of household who identify as…

DCHS Director Names Jackie Moynahan as Interim Division Director of the Housing, Homelessness and Community Development Division 

Jackie Moynahan (she/her) is now Interim Division Director of the Housing, Homelessness and Community Development Division (HHCDD). In this role, she oversees efforts around community development, creating and preserving affordable and special needs housing, housing repair programs, and programs providing housing stability support for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.  HHCDD is committed to increasing housing stability and developing strong communities. The division strives…