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Historic high temperatures are forecast this weekend, including three possible days of 100-degree-plus high temperatures. To put that in perspective, since official record keeping began in 1894, Seattle has recorded only three days with temperatures at or over 100 degrees. With such extreme temperatures coming, it’s critical to stay safe and cool.
Check out King County Emergency Management’s tips for staying cool and safe as the temperatures rise >>>
Also, it’s not just people that need to stay safe in the heat. Learn more about hot weather safety tips for pets >>>
Finally, if you need to find a cooling center, King County Emergency Management has compiled some available locations across King County, including the Eastside >>>
Providing immigrants in King County a pathway to legal status and citizenship
While King County has done much to support thousands of families with COVID-19 relief funds, many of our immigrant residents have been categorically excluded from receiving emergency relief. We cannot recover from the pandemic and move forward as a community while leaving thousands of our neighbors behind. A June 2020 report from the Center for American Progress notes that giving undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship would result in higher wages for all workers, create hundreds of thousands of new American jobs, and increase our national gross domestic product.
To help address this problem, the King County Council approved legislation on Tuesday that I sponsored to create a first-in-the-nation program to help immigrants pay the fees and other costs associated with seeking legal status and citizenship. The program provides $5 million for grants of up to $3,000 per individual and $6,000 per household.
Through this work, we are ensuring that our immigrant neighbors, many of whom are essential workers, have access to the support they need to recover from the pandemic.
King County Metro to restore trips on six Eastside bus routes
Tomorrow, Saturday, June 26, King County Metro will restore trips on routes 208, 225, 226, 241, 250 and 255. The added early morning and late evening trips on weekdays and Saturdays will give riders access to more frequent bus service. These six Eastside routes were slated for restoration for the upcoming October 2 service change but were advanced early because of their ability to connect to jobs and support people dependent on transit.
Learn more about these early Eastside service restorations on the Metro Matters Blog >>>
King County announces its second Health through Housing hotel purchase in partnership with City of Renton
Everyone deserves a safe place to call home and we know that the solution to homelessness is housing. Permanent supportive housing is a proven strategy to keep people housed and it’s why the King County Council adopted the Health through Housing Initiative, a 0.1% sales tax adopted by the Council last fall. The Initiative is expected bring in approximately $51 million this year and $54 million next year with a goal to move up to 1,600 residents experiencing chronic homelessness off the streets by October 2022.
This week, King County announced the second Health through Housing purchase of a property to provide approximately 100 unhoused residents stable housing. The former Extended Stay America hotel in Renton will provide housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness, along with 24/7 onsite staffing that will include case management, employment counseling, and access to health and behavioral health services.
Spread the word!
Please forward this email widely and invite others to sign-up to my email updates to receive important and timely information for District 6 constituents.
Sincerely,
 Claudia Balducci
King County Council
Council Chair
District 6
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