On November 29^th, the City of Seattle Council passed the 2023-2024 budget. The balancing package continues to fund critical services and priorities, while also addressing the recent negative economic forecast and operating deficits of $141 million in 2023 and $152 million in 2024.

We are pleased to note that the budget includes approximately $247 million that the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) will use to support contracts with more than 200 community-based human service providers supporting the City’s most vulnerable residents. Additionally, the final budget prioritizes frontline homelessness and emergency service workers to ensure the contract inflation increase was included. This means that existing and/or renewed HSD 2023 contracts that are eligible for the approved contract inflation, per ordinance 125865, will be adjusted to reflect the 7.6% rate effective January 1^st, 2023. The final 2024 inflationary increase will be calculated in June 2023, and the 6.7% included in the 2024 endorsed budget will be adjusted up or down based on CPIW as needed.

The 2023-24 Adopted Budget is now with Mayor Harrell for his signature and will be signed early next week.

We are grateful and appreciative of the Mayor and Council for these significant investments in closing the wage gap and supporting our city’s human service providers to recruit and retain staff for critical services for our most vulnerable populations.

All my best,

Tanya Kim