SHSC’s Conversation with City Council POsition 8 candidates!

October 15, 2024

In early October, SHSC's Executive Director Marissa Perez sat down for conversations with Seattle City Council Position 8 candidates Tanya Woo and Alexis Mercedes Rinck.

Watch the videos, filmed at YouthCare—an SHSC member organization—to hear the candidates' visions for addressing community needs and fostering just and thriving communities. For more information, visit our elections page.

Join us For Budget Advocacy TRAINING!

October 3, 2024

Do you live or work in Seattle or King County? Do you care about helping people meet their basic needs? Whether you are a seasoned advocate or have never raised your voice before this training is for you! You’ll leave this training feeling confident, knowing how and when to speak up on important issues in the Seattle and King County budgets, and how to help your clients, guests, colleagues, friends, and others to engage in advocacy too! For more information and how to register for FREE advocacy training, visit our Action & Opportunities page!

SHSC’S 2024 Seattle City Council Special Election COVERAGE

June 14, 2024

SHSC members provided excellent questions to be included in this year’s candidate questionnaire which will go out to all candidates running for City Council Position 8 in this year’s special election. The survey will provide an opportunity for candidates to communicate their perspectives on important human services issues in Seattle and help residents make informed decisions when casting their votes. Read more about SHSC’s election coverage here!  

Introducing SHSC's New Executive Director, Marissa Perez!

April 17, 2024

We are thrilled to introduce you to Marissa Perez, the new Executive Director of SHSC!  

Marissa (Oglala Sioux Tribe, she/her) brings a wide range of leadership experience spanning from non-profit organizations, government agencies, military service, and tribal communities across Washington State. She has been an Executive Director of a culturally specific non-profit organization, founded a 501c3 from the ground up, and has experience in coalition building, community organizing, and legislative policy work. She has a Master of Legal Studies in Indigenous People’s Law from the University of Oklahoma and has dedicated much of her career to ending gender-based violence and working to end the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & People (MMIWP).  

We are excited for you, our membership, community members, and partners, to meet her very soon! 

SHSC SEEKS NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR!

February 7, 2024

The Seattle Human Services Coalition is seeking an Executive Director to lead the organization in fulfilling its mission of creating a just and thriving community through public policy advocacy. SHSC's new Executive Director will have a unique opportunity to bring together member coalitions and human service organizations from across the city of Seattle to build consensus around a vision and strategy that will build a just and thriving community.

Do you know someone who would be great for this position?  You can help with the search by sharing widely with YOUR national and local networks! Job description and details on how to apply.

Support our 2023 budget recommendations and sign up for 2023 Seattle City Budget Testimony Opportunities

October 26, 2023

Click here to learn about SHSC Member Coalition Recommendations to Restore One-Time Funding For Critical Services. Also, SHSC members are mobilizing to testify on Friday, October 27 at 10 AM and Monday, November 13 at 5 PM. For more information on testifying, please sign up via this link.

SIGN UP FOR OUR UPCOMING HUMAN SERVICES ADVOCACY TRAINING

August 14, 2023

The City of Seattle is in the process of deciding how to fund its human service programs for the next year. This is a crucial opportunity to speak up for the investments our communities need to survive and thrive. We are excited to host an advocacy training, in conjunction with Statewide Poverty Action Network, on Tuesday, September 26th, from 3-5 pm at the LIHI main office. You can RSVP for the training here, and for further details, please visit our Action & Opportunities page.

Consult the SHSC online candidates survey before you vote!

July 18, 2023

We invited all candidates for Seattle City Council and King County Council to answer our human services questionnaire.

With the primary ballots out and the candidates' answers in, go see who answered and who didn't! What will they do to build well-being in our communities? Then be sure to VOTE!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Come see the top two candidates go head-to-head at SHSC’s Human Services Candidates Forum, Tuesday, Sept 19th 5:30-8pm at University Heights Center (5031 University Way NE, Seattle). Audience members may also have an opportunity to pose their human services and social justice questions to the candidates. 

Our 2024 Budget Recommendations to the City

June 26, 2023

The SHSC City Budget Task Force created our budget recommendations for this year and made a bold choice: We were brief and to the point with only two recommendations. No cuts and a 7% increase for wages.

See the "packet" here. It's only 4 pages long this year. Kudos and gratitude to the many coalition leaders who decided together that focusing on these goals that impact ALL OF US is our strongest position in this year's budget process. Now that the mayor's office has our recommendations, we will meet with him to advocate. When the mayor gives his budget to the city council in September, unless he has taken all our recommendations (one can hope!), we will begin our advocacy with our council members. Your advocacy during last year’s budget season was HUGE and impactful! We anticipate needing to make a similar effort this year.

Hot off the Press: The Pay Equity Analysis in the media

March 15, 2023

Following February’s highly anticipated release of the University of Washington Pay Equity Analysis, a steady stream of press coverage ensued. Links to a selection of articles are posted below, and if you would like to read the full report, click here.

Real Change - PubliCola - Crosscut

University of Washington’s Pay Equity Analysis of nonprofit human service workers has been released!

February 22, 2023 

Hello Washington Wage Equity Advocates,

We are thrilled to share the results of the University of Washington Pay Equity Analysis of nonprofit human service workers! 

Thank you to Jennie Romick, Shannon Harper and Emiko Tajima with the UW School of Social Work, along with the rest of the international team of researchers for giving us this crucial information. And thank you to the City of Seattle for approving funding for this groundbreaking analysis. For an overview of the analysis, you can read the executive summary here, or

CLICK HERE TO READ THE Full REPORT!

This analysis provides irrefutable evidence that human service workers are significantly underpaid for the difficult, essential work they perform. The market analysis reveals that non-profit human services workers make 37% less than other workers with identical skill sets working in other sectors of the economy. It will take a wage increase of 43-59% to correct the gap found by the market analysis alone, with the job evaluation analysis pointing to an even greater wage disparity.

We will be using these findings to galvanize action on wage equity. We need your help to do it! SHSC will be creating our own set of policy recommendations from this report, informed by our member organizations and community allies. In the coming months, we will be presenting these findings to groups across the state to gather input and brainstorm solutions to implement the wage increases recommended by this report. 

We want to hear from YOU. Email us for details if your organization is interested in being a part of this conversation.

We will be sharing additional follow-up materials in the coming weeks. Be on the lookout for more action items soon. On the behalf of our entire team here at the Seattle Human Services Coalition, thank you for your support. We look forward to fighting for justice and dignity for human services workers alongside all of you in 2023 and beyond!

SHSC leaders advocate for more public funding for necessary human services in Real Change op-ed.

December 16, 2022

"We have many supportive policymakers who believe, as we do, that human services are essential to our communities’ well-being. We also have a lot of policies and budgets still based on a belief that it is easier to punish bad behavior than it is to support health and well-being. We need a paradigm shift. We need holistic investments in people and the infrastructure that supports all people thriving." Read the article in its entirety here.

it's time to thank our councilmembers for the support they gave us!

December 6, 2022

Hello human services heroes and advocates! 

What a whirlwind we have been on with this intense budget season! Thank you for all the ways so many of you showed up, again and again, for public comments, for emails to councilmembers, for our rally with our partners, and more. WE DID GOOD. We had dozens of testimonies offered, hundreds of emails sent, and the councilmembers we met with frequently thanked us for the great support our members' participation provided them as they advocated for us in their budget process. THANK YOU.

There's only one thing left to do now: it's time to thank our councilmembers for the support they gave us, ensuring the full 7.6% inflation adjustment and supporting many amendments that fulfilled some of our recommendations. Please use this link to email your councilmember a thank you for their support. 

Thanks again for all your outreach and energy! YOU are the Coalition. YOU are the reason the council listens to us. THANK YOU for all the ways you show up to ensure we will continue to be able to serve our communities together. 

Tell your council member we need full funding for human services!

October 5, 2022

Greetings, fellow human services advocates! 

We need everyone advocating right now for a city budget that fully funds our essential services. Please take three minutes to send a message to your council member with just a few short clicks here. 

SHSC TO HOST FREE CITY BUDGET ADVOCACY TRAINING Wednesday, September 14 FROM 1:30-3pm!

August 24, 2022

Hello, Advocates for wage equity and investments in human services infrastructure! 

We are coming close to fall, which means the mayor and council will soon be making City of Seattle budget decisions for 2023-24. 

Do you think the City should sustain current levels of human services, especially in difficult economic times? 

Do you want to raise YOUR voice to make it so? 

SHSC is hosting a City Budget Advocacy training! Learn more about SHSC's 2023-24 budget recommendations, historic wins, as well as how to testify and follow along with an insider’s eye for this year’s city budget process. 

All those interested in city budget advocacy are welcome and will benefit from this training. We are partnering with Poverty Action Network to focus on supporting direct service staff and other non-traditional advocacy roles in telling their story to support SHSC's budget recs, including Wage Equity and sustaining current services. 

Wednesday, September 14, 2022 

1:30-3pm 

Virtual Training 

You’ll find out

• City budget calendar

• Effective messaging

• Advocacy ideas

• Public hearing tips and logistics

Fill out the registration form to sign up today!

Wage Equity for human services workers is long overdue and on the way! 

July 8, 2022

Your Raising Wages for Changing Lives campaign has launched! We are thrilled to announce that the City of Seattle has released the RFQ for the Pay Equity Analysis. Click here to review the materials. We will be selecting the research team in July, with the final analysis report scheduled to be released at the end of January.

We are also thrilled to announce that your conversations in your communities have resulted in signatures rolling in on our wage equity sign-on letter.  Have YOU and your own organization signed on yet?  Do you support compensating human service workers for the skills, education, experience, and value of the work they do to build well-being in our communities?

Add your name to the sign-on letter!

Whether you are a human services worker, funder, board member, neighbor, or supporter: we all welcome your voice in speaking up for pay equity! Both individuals and organizations can add their names, along with an optional testimonial explaining why you support wage equity for human service workers. We look forward to keeping you updated as the momentum builds.

YOUR visible support is what will make wage equity a reality!

SHSC invites applications for next Executive Director!

April 20, 2022

RARE Opportunity: For the first time in over 24 years SHSC’s Executive Director role is opening up. Members are searching the country for the right activist/organizer/administrator to lead SHSC into the future.

Do you know someone who would be great?  You can help with the search by sharing widely with YOUR national and local networks! Job description and details on how to apply.

SHSC is hiring a Wage Equity Organizer!

February 3, 2022

Good news: SHSC has received funding to proceed with the Pay Equity Analysis of human services workers!

Right now we are looking for someone with organizing and project management skills. Someone who wants to be part of making history as we move decisively toward wage equity for our dedicated, skilled workforce!

 The position is 30 hours/week, with full benefits. Click here to see the position description and how to apply. Applications submitted by Monday, February 14th will be considered first.

Let’s do this!

SHSC Focuses on Indigenous Rights

January 21, 2022

The Seattle Human Services Coalition and most members operate on land stolen from the Coastal Salish peoples. Like others in the region, we are only just starting to grapple with what this legacy means. In 2021 members’ representatives on the Steering Committee crafted and adopted a statement acknowledging the legacy and current impact of this usurpation of land and suppression of culture.

In looking for further opportunities to develop authentic relationships with and deepen the involvement of Indigenous-focused/led agencies and coalitions, SHSC has adopted a policy of waiving SHSC membership dues for Indigenous-focused/led human services organizations. (Starting in 2022, Indigenous-led and focused organizations can simply complete the membership form and note the dues waiver in lieu of sending payment.)

In addition, SHSC also actively seeks public policy changes supported by our indigenous members that will help people reach their full potential, to which SHSC could add our support.

Visit our Action & Opportunities page to read SHSC’s Land Acknowledgment.

Results from your advocacy!

December 16, 2021

Great job! Your advocacy this budget season landed seven of SHSC's budget recommendations in the City of Seattle’s 2022 budget. That includes the Pay Equity Analysis you all championed so effectively. Click here to view the budget summary results.

Mayor Durkan releases her final budget proposal for 2022—see SHSC’s response

October 6, 2021

On September 27, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan released her final 2022 budget proposal. View our 2022 budget recommendations and read SHSC’s response to the Mayor's proposed budget in this update memo to Councilmembers. For more information, please check out our Action & Opportunities page.

SHSC 2021 Human Services Candidates Forum Recap and video recording

September 22, 2021

The Seattle Human Services Coalition hosted a virtual Candidates Forum on the evening of September 16th. Moderated by Marcus Green, candidates for Seattle mayor, city and county council, county executive and city attorney races shared their vision and discussed pertinent human services topics. It was a lively and informative evening, and if you missed it, you’re in luck because we recorded it for you! Watch the Candidates Forum in its entirety here. Also, thanks to KUOW for the coverage—check out the one of their forum features here.

SHSC 2021 Human Services Candidates Forum — Save the Date!

August 17, 2021

The Seattle Human Services Coalition will host a LIVE Virtual Candidates Forum on Thursday, September 16th from 5:30 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. via a Facebook livestream event — and you're invited! Click here to RSVP — or just visit SHSC’s Facebook page on 9/16 at 5:30P.M. To learn more about the forum, please click here.

The top two, post-primary candidates for Seattle Mayor, Seattle City Council, County Executive and City Attorney races have answered our online questionnaire (see posted answers) and have RSVP’d for our September 16th Candidates Forum.

This forum is an opportunity for hundreds of human service providers, and the people in the communities they influence, to hear directly from candidates about issues that may not be posed by other groups, and that matter to them as voters.

SHSC has concerns about Charter Amendment Measure 29

July 16, 2021

SHSC leadership has taken a close look at the possible impacts of Charter Amendment Measure 29 and has found several issues that are of concern in terms of of both short-term and long-term negative consequences.  

Some of those concerns and issues are outlined in this document which we sent to the Mayor and Seattle Councilmembers.  

 A significant problem with the measure is that it is written in such a way that leaves the details of implementation undefined so no one can say how it will be interpreted and implemented if it were to pass in November, making many problematic outcomes possible. 

Consult the SHSC online candidates survey before you vote!

July 16, 2021

We collected questions for candidates and invited all the people running for Seattle Mayor, City Council, City Attorney, King Co Executive and Council race for District 1 to give us their answers.

The primary ballots are out! The candidates' answers are in! Go see who answered and who didn't! What will they do to build well-being in our communities?

Then be sure to VOTE!

And put the Candidates Forum on your calendar now, Thursday, Sept 16th 5:30-7:30pm to see the top two candidates go head to head live, virtually answering more human services and social justice questions!

SHSC Releases City Budget Recommendations for an Equitable Recovery!

July 7, 2021

We are excited to present SHSC’s Recommendations for Building an Equitable Recovery with the 2021 ARPA funds and 2022 City of Seattle budget!

Click here to view the recommendations and then visit our Action & Opportunities page for more information.

Executive Constantine Proposes Renewed & Expanded Best Starts for Kids Levy!

January 28, 2021

King County Executive Dow Constantine sent County Council a wise investment proposal to renew Best Starts for Kids!

The previous levy, since 2015, served more than 500,000 youth and families, with a focus on preventing homelessness, funding health centers in schools and providing in-home services for new parents.

This proposal would continue those successful programs and adds new to reduce by two-thirds the number of children under 5 who have no access to child care because their parents can’t afford it. It would provide child care for about 3,000 kids per year.

Let’s help get these resources into the community!

• BSK renewal report

• Ballot measure ordinance

These services to build well-being throughout the county will be even more critical to recover from the pandemic.

SHSC response to Mayor's Proposed Budget

October 6, 2020

Mayor Durkan released her proposed budget last week. SHSC leaders have responded with an analysis of how it aligns with our recommendations to re-envision the City budget to focus on an Equitable Recovery. See page 3 of the SHSC framework and post-mayoral budget addendum.

Please visit our City of Seattle Page for more information.

SHSC supports change for racial justice

June 3, 2020

The racial oppression and white supremacy the United States is built on, and which is an integral part of this country’s social systems and values, has resulted in the ongoing suffering and hardship of Black communities. This is expressed in disproportionately ineffective social systems including education, employment, housing, healthcare, human services, and criminal justice and results in ongoing deadly violence against members of the Black community including Amadou Diallo, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Charleena Lyles, Che Taylor, Mi’Chance Dunlap-Gittens, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and most recently George Floyd.

The leadership of the Seattle Human Services Coalition adds our voices to those already raised in recognition that the Black community is under continuing attack and it must stop. We feel anger, despair and frustration as we stand with our colleagues, comrades, and program participants who are decrying this murder.

Standing together in this time responding to a pandemic and deepening recession amidst this ongoing injustice, we join together, linking arms in coalition, in order to combine our efforts with allies also working toward building a just and thriving community. In order for change to happen, privileged whites must lend their voices and play a leadership role in the call for change and accountability within our institutions.

We call on our elected representatives to make the necessary decisions to balance these systems, including redistribution of resources. We must create an equitable response and recovery. We also call on Mayor Durkan and SPD to listen to communities of color reaching out to them and act in a way that supports peaceful demonstrations and does not escalate violence against peaceful protests.

Although we know this statement is incomplete, we feel we must speak up. We encourage everyone to stand and join the movement for equity, joining the swell of energy and voices insisting that, Now is the Time.

· How to Make This Moment the Turning Point for Real Change, by Barack Obama https://medium.com/@BarackObama/how-to-make-this-moment-the-turning-point-for-real-change-9fa209806067

· Dear White People, Your Black Colleagues Aren’t Okay https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/05/9841376/black-trauma-george-floyd-dear-white-people

Action steps you can take today.

• Educate yourself with these BLM reading lists HERE and HERE

• Support Black-owned businesses

• Take action and/or donate to support Black Lives Matter, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, the Northwest Community Bail Fund, and many others

• If you're joining a local protest, stay safe

• Register to vote

SHSC moving to virtual meetings

With the advent of the novel coronavirus many of us are exploring policies and strategies that organizations and communities can put into place to help slow the spread of infectious illness. SHSC is moving forward to implement social distancing strategies: Creating ways to increase distance between people in settings where people commonly come into close contact with one another. Public Health Seattle King County defines specific priority settings to include schools, workplaces, events, meetings, and other places where people gather.

To this end we are moving to a default policy of holding SHSC meetings via video-conferencing.  Most of our meetings are 3-20 people, from Steering Committee meetings to work groups. (Each work group can make a decision to meet in person, if needed.) 

LOGISTICS: We will email handouts to participants we are expecting at virtual meetings as well as a meeting link to video conference which can be used from any computer connected to the internet.  If you have an SHSC meeting scheduled and haven’t received meetings materials and a link 24 hours in advance, please call or email SHSC to check on plans and be sure you are on the list to receive materials and the link.

This is a temporary policy which will be re-evaluated as the virus abates. We will be testing several formats as we begin this policy to see what system best meets members’ needs and capacity.

We wish you well as you continue to provide services to support our communities in the safest way possible.

In the meantime, keep your hands clean!

Have you sent your ballot in yet? Deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 5th!

You can still refer to SHSC’s Candidates’ Survey to see how they responded to questions about the issues you care about. Now, with the photos from the Candidates’ Forum!

Mayor’s budget preserves all human services and includes the inflation adjustment we fought for. now we need to urge council to fund a comparable worth ANALYSIS to correct the long-term legacy of under-paying human service workers.

Your colleagues in SHSC have put together a FREE Advocacy Training to be held on Tuesday, September 10th to help you make your voice heard.

Please visit our Action & Opportunities Page for more information.

Yet another inspiring night of honoring human services leaders in our community at the 27th annual Human Services Awards!

See photos of our award recipients, presenters and more here.

All Seattle City Council and King County Council candidates were invited to complete SHSC’s 2019 Candidates’ Questionnaire.

Go to our Candidates Forum / Survey to see candidates' answers to coalition members' questions.

A group of SHSC leaders presented SHSC’s 2020 City of Seattle Budget Recommendations to the mayor via Deputy Mayor Moseley on July 16th. 

The top priority continues to be no cuts to services, which includes the full 2.9% inflation adjustment and a robust comparable worth study in order to being work on correcting the historic underfunding for human services work. You can see the complete package here.

We did it!

City Council unanimously passed the ordinance requiring an adjustment for inflation equal to cpi-w on all HSD human services contracts. This includes services funded by city dollars and those funded by state or federal “pass-through” dollars.

Please visit our Action & Opportunities Page

Are you in favor of a mandatory inflation adjustment?

Have you heard about the potential City of Seattle ordinance that, if enacted, would require the City to include an annual inflation adjustment on all HSD contracts? It is in the works!

Want to know more?

Are you in favor of a mandatory inflation adjustment?

Have you heard about the potential City of Seattle ordinance that, if enacted, would require the City to include an annual inflation adjustment on all HSD contracts? It is in the works!

Want to know more?

Do You Have Questions About Immigrant Rights, human services, and sanctuary?

Please visit our Resource Page

Seattle is at its best when all of us can live up to our potential and contribute our diverse gifts and talents to our communities. Seattle's ability to thrive now and in the future depends upon our ability to build economic, emotional, physical, developmental, and social well-being for all community members.

WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS AN ESSENTIAL HUMAN RIGHT

FOR EVERY PERSON TO HAVE ACCESS

TO THE BASIC NECESSITIES AND RESOURCES

FOR HUMAN SURVIVAL AND ADVANCEMENT. 

You can also stay informed on all the latest SHSC news and policy work by visiting these pages: