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Human services staff tell council a $500,000 general fund must stretch across many needs
Summary
Human services staff said the division manages roughly 60 contracts with a Human Services General Fund of about $500,000 and relies heavily on partnerships and one‑time ARPA funds to meet demand across homelessness, youth services and prevention programs.
Anya and Sarah, representing Burien’s human services team, briefed the council on Jan. 26 about the scope and limits of the division’s work.
Anya said the city’s human services team is a small unit—"we are a 2 person team"—that plays planning, convening and funding roles across a wide service continuum. The Human Services General Fund for 2026 is "right around $500,000," she said, and much of the rest of the work relies on one‑time or pass‑through funding and regional partnerships.
Staff noted that in the last funding cycle they received more than 80 applications totaling roughly $2.5 million in asks but the city’s budget could only fund a portion: "we ended up awarding about 36 contracts out of that budget, and totaling just shy of $500,000," a staffer said. They emphasized rigorous contract administration and performance monitoring and said the human services commission will bring funding recommendations to council in the coming funding cycle.
Council members raised questions about outreach services after contract changes for outreach providers. Staff said an earlier dedicated outreach position funded by one‑time ARPA funds ended when that funding expired and the city now contributes a modest ongoing sum to partner providers (about $15,000 annually) while convening regional outreach groups for coordination.
Staff asked council for continued engagement as the department prepares funding recommendations and technical assistance workshops timed to the application window that opens in March.
