Metropolitan King County Council 516 Third Ave., Rm. 1200 Seattle, WA 98104 Phone: 206-296-1000 Toll Free: 800-325-6165 TTY/TDD: 206-296-1024 Fax: 206-296-0198 council@kingcounty.gov
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Oct. 31, 2008 Veterans Day update: King County Veterans Levy investing millions in SeattleSeattle has received over $6.5 million in funding for housing and supportive services from the King County Veterans and Human Services Levy since 2006.
Area veterans have also benefited from more than $10 million in levy support for countywide veterans and humans services programs. Serving King County’s 150,000 veterans, these tax dollars have increased access to post-traumatic stress disorder counseling, employment opportunities, and benefits, while reducing homelessness and recidivism rates among veterans.
In 2005, as wars in Afghanistan and Iraq increased the demand for veterans services, federal funding proved to be inadequate. In response, King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson proposed asking voters to decide whether they wanted to invest in increased veterans services. He led a 12-month effort to work with citizens and elected officials, particularly Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis, Enumclaw Mayor John Wise and Newcastle City Councilmember Sonny Putter. Subsequently, the King County Council voted 12-1 to place a veterans levy on the ballot. In November 2005, voters overwhelmingly passed the Veterans and Human Services Levy by nearly 60% of the vote.
The six-year levy taxes King County property at a rate of $0.05 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. For a $400,000 home, the cost is $20 annually, and it generates approximately $13.3 million per year. To ensure levy funds reach the intended recipients, two citizen boards oversee the expenditure of levy proceeds.
“I grew up hearing my family members talk about their military experiences, and I know, on both a personal and public policy level, that veterans deserve our support,” said Councilmember Ferguson. “Many veterans face challenges when they return home from military service, including homelessness, chemical dependency, post-traumatic stress disorder, and unemployment. The levy funds allow us to assist the veterans in our community and overcome these issues.”
Levy funds are helping veterans and their families in Seattle and countywide by:
• Increasing permanent housing with supportive services for veterans, including McDermott Place in North Seattle and the Plymouth Housing Group’s Langdon and Anne Simons Senior Apartments in downtown Seattle.
• Expanding the King County Jail Initiatives Project to assist incarcerated veterans in regional jails. The project, which was recently named one of “20 Innovations Achieving Results” by the United States Interagency Council to End Homelessness, helps veterans secure employment and stable housing after they are released, reducing the recidivism rate for this population to 17 percent compared to the general jail population rate of 58 percent.
• Supporting housing stability programs and related services at Solid Ground, Crisis Clinic, First Place, Neighborhood House, Salvation Army, Senior Services, and YWCA to provide rental or mortgage assistance to low-income renters and homeowners who are facing short-term emergencies that place them at risk of homelessness.
• Expanding and extending availability of in-home mental health services to treat depression for chronically ill and disabled elderly veterans.
• Assuring that appropriate health care linkages and supports are included in permanent supportive housing projects, so that the tenants can establish a regular health care regimen, rather than relying on costly emergency care.
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