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Veterans, Seniors & Human Services Levy

Veterans, Seniors & Human Services Levy

Ensuring that Veterans, Seniors and Resilient Communities are connected and supported across the region.


Renewing the Veterans, Seniors & Human Services Levy

Executive Constantine announced a plan to renew the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy

The Veterans, Seniors & Human Services Levy (VSHSL), approved by King County voters in 2005, 2011, and 2017 is up for voter consideration for the fourth time. The VSHSL funds a wide range of programs that connect veterans, military service members and their families, as well as individuals and families in need with affordable housing, employment, behavioral health treatment, and other service connections. The VSHSL ensures that veterans, seniors, and resilient communities are connected and supported across the region.

Executive Constantine's proposal reaffirms and strengthens our commitment to honor veterans, seniors, and resilient communities and improve the quality of life for residents across King County. If approved by the King County Council by May, the proposal will go to the voters for approval in August.

The VSHSL renewal proposal is focused on three key areas, and aims to do the following:

Support Veterans

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Build Nation’s Strongest Local Veterans Program

  • The levy sustains and expands innovative partnerships and programming, comprehensive case management, and behavioral health counseling for veterans and their families and caregivers. This includes:

Keep Reducing Veteran Homelessness

  • Over the next six years, the VSHSL strives to further reduce veteran homelessness in the following ways:
    • Building or buying at least 200 dedicated affordable housing units for veterans, making permanent the Collaborative Case Management program, and funding housing navigators to assist people in their affordable housing search.

Expand Accessibility for Seniors

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Double Funding for Senior Centers

  • The levy will reinforce senior services that made a difference in the pandemic, strengthen and sustain senior center programming to provide social connection, and invest in green energy improvements like heat pumps, solar panels, and air filtration that help senior centers reduce their carbon footprint, cut utility bills, and provide refuge in extreme weather.

Strengthen Communities, Build Resiliency

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Deepen Investments in Critical Workforce

  • The levy will help stabilize the human services workforce, and also invest in the people who help our communities thrive. The levy will also deepen investments for prevention efforts and responses to survivors of gender-based violence.

WATCH:

King County Executive
Dow Constantine
Dow constantine portrait

Read the Executive's biography

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