Balducci applauds key investments to benefit Eastside residents in supplemental budget, including housing, meal services, sexual assault survivor resources, gun violence prevention and response, and more

July 16, 2024

The King County Council on Tuesday passed a supplemental budget that included $1.3 million for meal services for seniors, transitional housing for women and children, and sexual assault resources. These investments, championed by King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, use federal COVID relief funds to provide key community supports for residents in East King County and throughout King County.

“I’m pleased that this budget includes critical investments in the everyday services that people depend on — providing nutrition and community for seniors in need, sheltering and building independence for homeless families, and supporting survivors of sexual assault,” Balducci said. “By supporting trusted organizations like Catholic Community Services, Acres of Diamonds, and King County Sexual Assault Resource Center we shore up the basics in a time of high need, focusing our resources on supporting our most vulnerable residents with reliable services.”

The $1.3 million in resources championed by Balducci include:

• Catholic Community Services’ congregate meals program, which serves seniors at 12 community centers across the county, including several sites on the Eastside, providing not only nutrition but connection for seniors. After a funding cut, they were forced to reduce service at all sites. With a grant of $147,010, the organization will be able to restore some of the service days to its four most robust meal sites, including the Peter Kirk Community Center in Kirkland.

• Acres of Diamonds, which helps moms experiencing homelessness get back on their feet with holistic, long-lasting solutions, including transitional housing, counseling, and life skill classes. The organization will use the $1 million grant to acquire a property that will not only provide housing, but expand counseling services, allowing them to transform even more lives.

• The King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, which provides critical advocacy and therapy services for survivors of sexual assault, as well as prevention, education, and outreach programs. They faced a loss of state funding that would have resulted in service cuts. This $200,000 grant will allow the center to continue to support survivors and prevent future assaults.

In addition, the budget includes one-time funding to continue to support the Executive’s Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which was first funded in late 2023. Balducci sponsored an amendment to ensure a full spectrum of activities, including robust response when gun violence does occur, in addition to the existing, important focus on prevention programs. She also added accountability and transparency measures, including collection of data, use of best practices, and reporting on outcomes to ensure that the funded efforts are making a difference and reducing gun violence. Both amendments passed unanimously.