Join Us at the West Seattle Light Rail Visioning Forum!
Looking to learn about how plans for light rail expansion to West Seattle are progressing and what upcoming Sound Transit Board discussions mean for West Seattle residents? Join me at the West Seattle Light Rail Visioning Forum with Transportation Choices Coalition, the 34th District Dems, West Seattle Chamber, Executive Shannon Braddock, Sound Transit CEO Constantine! Thanks to the added co-sponsor from Seattle City Council, and West Seattle resident, Rob Saka! This will be an opportunity to hear updates from Sound Transit about design work and cost savings analysis the agency has been working on for the West Seattle alignment, and to get a preview of the type of designs that would continue to be evaluated if the Sound Transit Board authorizes additional analysis on options for light rail to West Seattle.
Date: Monday, November 17th
Time: 5:30 – 7pm (Doors open at 5 pm)
Location: Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Wy SW, Seattle, WA 98106
Come out for a preview of some preliminary cost-saving design work on options to bring light rail to West Seattle—and find out how you can stay engaged and informed as the agency continues its analysis and Sound Transit Board discussions continue. Hope to see you there!
King County Council is two weeks away from it's final vote on the revised 2026-2027 county budget, and Team Teresa is hard at work pushing for investments in health, housing, workers, and community safety investments that support District 8 communities. Budget Chair Dembowski released his “chair’s striker” last Friday—the revised proposed budget package that will now be considered by the council moving forward starting on Wednesday in the Budget and Finance Committee. I’m thrilled that many of District 8 community members, labor and housing requests at large that my office sponsored were included in the Chair's revised proposed budget. A huge thank you to all of you for flagging priorities for the upcoming biennial budget, for your calls and emails to inform us of the needs. And THANK YOU to the Budget Leadership Team and Chair Dembowski for including these critical investments. Here’s a rundown of what we have advocated for in the striker, what we’re still working on, next steps, and how to stay engaged.
Budgets matter! Here are some of the items we advanced in the Health, Housing and Human Services Panel and items I sponsored and helped secure in the Chair's proposed Budget Striker, thanks again to Chair Dembowski, Budget Leadership Team, and all of you in community for advancing these requests:
Housing and Homelessness Investments
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$3,000,000 - Rental Assistance through United Way of King County. Given the massively increased volume of evictions in King County and corresponding increased resources to carry them out, this investment increases funding to UWKC for rental assistance to prevent people from being evicted in the first place.
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$400,000 - Home and Hope. Funding to support the countywide program Home and Hope that helps develop publicly owned sites into affordable housing, paired with education centers and childcare!
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$250,000 - Lambert House. Enable Lambert House to continue providing services to LGBTQ+ youth in the subject areas of peer support, school retention, meals, clothing, personal hygiene items, medical and mental health referrals, STI prevention education, violence prevention, youth leadership, workplace skills development, and systems advocacy. Lambert House is the only provider of these services specific to LGBTQ+ youth in King County.
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Housing Credit Enhancement Proviso. Directs the creation of a pilot framework to utilize the County’s credit enhancement authority to support an affordable housing project in Georgetown allowing our public housing dollars to go further to create more housing.
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Homeownership Revolving Fund Proviso. Directs a plan to create a revolving loan fund using the County’s bonding authority for the creation of first-time, permanently affordable homeownership opportunities in King County.
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$20,000 - Vashon RV Pump Out. Supporting Vashon Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness RV Pump Out program helping unhoused people live with comfort and dignity on the island.
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$300,000 - Tiny Home Village Locations in District 8 Miracle Village & Riverton Park Village Expenditure Restriction. Partnering with the Low Income Housing Institute to fund tiny home villages responding to the housing crisis in our region.
Workforce and Childcare Investments
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$750,000 - MLK Virtual Hiring Hall Worker Led Dispatch. Completion of temporary worker placement online platform that allows union trained workers to be dispatched to jobsites in support of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This helps local workers get good paying jobs in our local economy and helps local employers get reliable workers – a win/win!
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$150,000 - WeTrain Veterans Community Pathways for Grocery Careers. Expanding WeTrain’s Community Pathways for Veterans program that creates opportunities for future employment in careers in the grocery industry, such as butchers and fishmongers.
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$500,000 - Comunidad de Vashon Plazita. Funding for Comunidad de Vashon to continue building a community hub holding job training and worker co-op programs for residents on the island.
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Best Starts for Kids Renewal Policies Proviso. Directs the analysis of priorities to be considered in the upcoming Best Starts for Kids Levy renewal—including supports for families experiencing homelessness, immigrant and refugee families, and capital funding to create more childcare options.
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$250,000 - Mujer al Volante Driving Assistance. Mujer al Volante supports low-income immigrant, refugee, and asylee women and mothers with driving training and assistance obtaining licenses in 10 languages.
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$12,000 - Legacy of Equality Leadership and Organization (LELO). Helping Legacy of Equality Leadership and Organization (LELO) to meet increased insurance costs in the program to assist people in getting their licenses restored.
Community Safety Investments
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White Center Regional Gun Violence Proviso. Directs the King County Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention to report back on data collected on gun violence in White Center and explain how that data informs what services they provide in WC. We have an amendment to restrict the amount to instead direct the office to provide services instead of analysis.
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$300,000 - Vacant to Vibrant site activation in North Highline Unincorporated Area. This two-year pilot program will help activate vacant buildings and parking lots in the North Highline neighborhoods with pop-ups from local small businesses, artists, or community-based organizations – which helps residents of White Center and beyond!
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$300,000 - Washington State Reparations Study. Supporting the State’s effort to fully fund a Reparations Study to examine the enduring impacts of U.S. chattel slavery on residents in Washington state.
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Prosecuting Attorney's Office Recidivism Data Proviso. Requiring the Prosecuting Attorney’s office to provide data on reoffending rates for youth subject to traditional prosecution to enable comparison of this route to diversion programming.
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Surveillance Technology Full List Proviso. This proviso will mandate creation of one list of surveillance technologies currently in use in any King County departments to further my office’s efforts to create a surveillance technology ordinance, providing increased community input and oversight.
Health and Wellness Investments
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$41,000 - Board of Health Rule and Regulation. Enabling Public Health to enforce the new regulation I sponsored and passed this year, requiring a second placard be shown by food businesses who are out of compliance with final wage theft judgements thus triggering increased food safety inspections.
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$500,000 - Tubman Health Center. Infrastructure support for the new Tubman Center for Health & Freedom clinic that is located in District 8 and will serve 54 zip codes and residents throughout the County.
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$2,500,000 - Behavior Health Provider Stability Funds. Uses $2.5M Crisis Care Center levy funds to provide inflationary cost adjustments, helping stabilize the behavioral health workforce, to providers of behavioral health crisis response, including Sound Behavioral Health, DESC, and YMCA of Greater Seattle’s Social Impact Program.
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Vashon Septic Support Proviso. Directs Public Health to create a plan to facilitate different models for septic creation like composting toilets and other innovative ways to allow for more backyard cottages on Vashon Island and beyond.
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$1,840,000 - Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Program Restoration. Secured full funding for programming related to community-based behavioral health grants, domestic violence & sexual assault services, and the Harborview High Utilizer Care Team.
AND!!!
Photo Credit: Erin House
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Water Taxi Analysis Proviso. Directs Metro to look at funding options to support sustained Water Taxi sailings for Saturday and Friday evening, along with an assessment to support sports schedule sailings to Vashon, the installation of a payment kiosk in West Seattle, and the establishment of a triangle route between Vashon, Des Moines and Pier 50 downtown Seattle.
How to Stay Engaged in the Final Budget Decisions
 Visit the County Council’s Budget Page to continue to follow along as the process moves forward and for instructions on how to provide feedback via email, phone, or public comment. You can also weigh virtually or in-person at the Budget Town Hall this Wednesday, November 12th, starting at 5:30 pm! Why should I care about the budget, because of this video:
 Photo Credit: White Center Food Bank
With the Federal Government shutdown, SNAP benefits that many in our community rely on to eat, have not gone out. I'm sharing these resources from the United Way of King County for anyone who may need assistance at this time.
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Local Food Banks and Pantries: There are over 500 food banks and pantries across Washington that provide produce, pantry staples, and other groceries free of cost. Use the 211 Food Bank Finder to find a food bank near you.
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Free School Meals for Kids: Children who are eligible for SNAP are also eligible to receive free meals at school. Most schools in Washington serve two to three meals per day. Talk to your child’s school to learn more about your family’s eligibility for free meals.
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Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): WIC provides healthy, free food to families with children under age five. The WIC program remains open during the shutdown and has secured funding to operate through mid- to late November at a minimum. Families with young children can request more information about WIC from the Department of Health.
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Unused SNAP benefits: The USDA has confirmed that any unspent SNAP benefits already loaded onto an EBT card can be spent in November. Stretch your remaining benefits with programs like SNAP Produce Match, which gives you an additional food voucher when you buy fruits or vegetables.
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Other Basic Needs Resources: Other assistance programs may be available to help cover household expenses like rent, utilities, or clothing, freeing up money in your budget to buy groceries while SNAP benefits are delayed. Call 2-1-1 to learn more about resources near you.
Proclamation Honoring Harborview Board Trustee Clayton Lewis
 We were joined by Clayton's family, fellow Harborview Boardmembers, UW Medicine staff and former District 8 Councilmember Joe McDermott.
After 21 years of service to the community, Executive Shannon Braddock joined me and my council colleagues honoring Harborview Board Trustee Clayton Lewis. Clayton has been helping provide oversight and guidance to our County owned hospital, including stints as board president, and as his time on the board comes to an end, he leaves a lasting legacy of Harborview being poised to continue being the place we can all count on in our times of need.
Click here to watch the surprise recognition in council chambers last week. Trustee Lewis was joined in chambers by members of his family, Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees, UW Medicine, the Executive’s Office team members, former Councilmember Joe McDermott and my Colleagues on King County Council. It was so wonderful to celebrate Trustee Lewis and all his work, tenacity, and accomplishments while on the Board of Trustees. Our county is healthier and this region of our country is better able to access critical health services because of his leadership. Thank you Clayton!
YMCA membership is now included with enrollment in Early Education programs
 YMCA membership is now included with enrollment — giving your family access to Kids Zone (care while you work out), free adult-child swim lessons (for ages 6 months to 2 years), and our fitness centers and classes.
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Caring and Passionate Educators: Highly trained staff create a warm, nurturing environment where every child feels valued, supported, and encouraged.
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Enrichment Activities: A play-based curriculum inspires creativity, exploration, and a lifelong love of learning.
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Whole Child Development: We nurture emotional, social, and physical growth for happy, healthy kids.
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Inclusive and Welcoming: Every child is celebrated at the Y, regardless of background or ability.
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Convenient Hours: Hours to fit your busy schedule.
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Affordable Options: Flexible tuition plans, childcare subsidies, and financial assistance available.
Conservation Futures open space acquisition funding available — apply by February 9, 2026
What can they fund? King County Conservation Futures grants are for acquisition of land or conservation easements in King County. Conservation Futures grants can fund the purchase of urban greenspaces, natural areas, restoration sites, passive recreation parks, forests, community gardens, farmland, and trails – including stormwater parks or parks near affordable housing. Acquisitions serving historically underserved communities may qualify for a match waiver to cover the full purchase price. Along with acquisition, we can fund initial site stabilization costs of demolition, signage, and fencing.
Who can they fund? King County can award Conservation Futures grants to cities, towns, the county, and park districts. King County may be able to award grants to qualified 501c nature conservation or historic preservation nonprofits.
 Thank you for signing up for the #TeresaTuesday Newsletter. We will send you regular updates every other week. If you’d like to reach out or have an issue we can help with, please reach out anytime.
Thank you for allowing us to represent you on the King County Council!
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