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Renters, service providers urge Seattle council to protect Jumpstart revenue and fund rental assistance
Summary
Renter advocates and social-service providers told the Select Budget Committee the city should stop using Jumpstart housing revenue for general purposes and approve expanded tenant-based rental assistance, including a request for $21 million for rental aid.
Seattle public-commenters pressed the Select Budget Committee on Oct. 7 to prioritize renters and preserve dedicated affordable-housing revenue as the council considers the mayor's 2026 budget.
Lydia Felty, co-chair of the Seattle Renters Commission, urged the council to “protect dedicated affordable housing revenue, including and especially Jumpstart funds,” and to stop using Jumpstart as a “slush fund” for the general budget. She also asked the council to fully fund rental assistance and tenant services.
Speakers representing housing and recovery programs described how city-funded services keep people housed. Henry Tanaka, a case manager at the Low Income Housing Institute, asked the council to approve $21,000,000 in tenant-based rental assistance, saying the funds would help the most vulnerable tenants pay rents while case managers and therapists work with households to stabilize them.
Staff and program participants also testified. Matthew Black, co-lead staff for the Co-lead program, said the program moves people who previously would not accept shelter referrals into sustainable housing; participants described obtaining IDs, ORCA cards and access to services as “life changing.” Julius Caesar Robinson of Partner in Employment urged the council to maintain full funding for the Office of Labor Standards because training and enforcement protects immigrant workers.
There were no formal votes during the virtual public-comment session. The committee recessed until the in-person public hearing at 5:00 PM.
Next step: the Select Budget Committee will continue public comment in person at 5:00 PM and then proceed with budget deliberations on a schedule set by the council.
