Human Services Department releases $14.7M community‑safety RFP, expands model to North Seattle

The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD), joined by the Seattle Police Department’s executive director for crime and community harm reduction, presented the city’s community safety initiative update Tuesday and released a request for proposals (RFP) to fund a network of coordinated, place‑based services aimed at reducing gun violence.

HSD Director Tanya Kim said the RFP, posted on Sept. 23, totals up to $14,700,000 and focuses primarily on people up to age 35 and families “impacted by and or involved in gun violence.” The RFP funds three strategy areas: intervention services (hospital‑based response, intensive individual services and place‑based interventions), school safety services (on‑site teams at selected middle and high schools) and supportive services (mentoring, therapy, legal aid, resource navigation and short‑term family assistance).

Kim said the initiative is intended to move the city from a disparate portfolio of contractors to a coordinated network with shared measurable outcomes, a common referral process, standardized workforce training and an external evaluator. “We’re going to have a coordinated response where … we will be able to track those referrals and ensure that folks get the services that they need,” she said.

Dr. Lee Hunt of SPD said the department’s data analysis shows shootings and “shots fired” incidents are concentrated in specific neighborhoods and that a relatively small number of individuals are responsible for a disproportionate share of gun violence. He described a focus on high‑impact intervention with that smaller group while emphasizing the need for the broader ecosystem of prevention and recovery services. “Community violence intervention is evidence based and it's demonstrated its effect effectiveness, excuse me, in reducing gun violence and people's continued involvement with firearms,” Hunt said.

HSD described other RFP details and schedule: applications opened Sept. 23; two bidder information sessions are scheduled (Sept. 30 in person at El Centro and Oct. 2 online); the application deadline is Wednesday, Nov. 12 at noon; rating panels will review and recommend awards; recommended awards are planned to be announced Jan. 26, 2026, and awarded contracts are planned to start April 1, 2026. HSD also said it will continue a direct contract with Harborview Medical Center for hospital‑based bedside response and will fund an external evaluator and a dedicated database for referrals and performance tracking.

The RFP emphasizes geographic priorities that include Southeast Seattle, Southwest Seattle, the Central District and an expansion to North Seattle; HSD said place‑based services will be focused in neighborhoods with historical disinvestment and disproportionate gun violence measured by SPD data and the city’s racial equity index. HSD also said school safety funds will support 11 partner schools through the city’s school‑based safety teams and family resource funds.

Several members of the public who spoke during the committee’s public comment period tied the briefing to local experiences of gun violence. Leah Hall, a Rainier Beach resident, described shots fired at a playground near South Shore K–8 and said, “My son was in the line of fire.” Jessica Hoffman, a parent and neighbor, said children had fled a playground after gunfire and urged coordination “with already trusted organizations like Community Passageways, Rainier Beach Action Coalition, and Urban Family.” Genevieve Walker, another Rainier Beach parent, asked for prioritized safety patrols and coordinated responses between Seattle Public Schools, SPD and community organizations.

Committee members asked staff about evaluation, accountability, and the planned expansion to North Seattle; HSD said the department has increased in‑house research capacity, reserved funding for an external evaluator, and will require providers to meet common workforce standards and measurable outcomes. Kim said HSD will monitor contracts and may pivot or discontinue awards that do not meet performance expectations.

HSD said the RFP is intended to build a “safety network coordination” function that will professionalize the workforce, standardize training and create referral pathways so providers can connect people with services citywide. HSD reiterated that the initiative is data‑driven and that the city is bringing together police, schools, hospitals and community partners in an effort to reduce gun violence through both focused intervention and upstream prevention.