Council passes budget, closing $250-plus million deficit, making record investment in affordable housing, protecting services

Councilmember Dan Strauss (District 6), Chair of the Select Budget Committee, announced the passage of the City of Seattle's 2025-2026 budget, successfully closing a $250-plus million dollar budget shortfall while making all-time-high investments in affordable housing and other critical services.

"In one of the toughest budget years in recent memory, we have come together, made smart decisions, and protected the services our city depends on while making strides toward greater financial sustainability. We know the same inflation that helped cause our budget shortfall is being felt hardest by working class Seattleites. Too many are struggling to get their everyday needs met. We won't leave them behind. This is a budget for everyone - a budget that builds towards a better, safer, more affordable Seattle for all," said Councilmember Strauss.

Investments aimed at addressing the most urgent issues affecting Seattleites include:

• Affordable housing: Seattle's largest-ever investment in affordable housing - more than $340 million - five times as much as the City was spending before the pandemic ($69 million in 2019).

• Public Safety: Record-high investments in public safety programs, including expanding Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) citywide and seven days a week, more positions in the 911 call center to answer call quicker, and expanding successful community-based programs like We Deliver Care.

• Homelessness: Funding the creation of new non-congregate shelters, saving shelter beds that were at risk of closing, new investments in transitional housing programs, expanding the Unified Care Team, new investments to help RV residents transition into shelter and housing, and $4 million to help YouthCare create a workforce training and affordable housing project for homeless youth.

• Public Health: New funding to help address substance use disorder, including new detox and inpatient treatment beds, purchase of a mobile medication unit, and additional recovery support services.

• Affordability: $7.1 million in additional rental assistance to help people stay housed, increased funding for food banks and meal programs to address food insecurity, and additional funding to help working-class families afford preschool.

While some city jobs will be reduced in light of the City's budget deficit, Councilmember Strauss worked to reduce layoffs and protect all City workers jobs for at least the next six months - potentially allowing them to find other jobs with the City and creating a smoother transition.

That includes restoring all jobs and original programming at the Seattle Channel that were scheduled for reductions.

"Thank you to my fellow councilmembers, Mayor Bruce Harrell, our expert analysts, and our entire community who showed up and made their voice heard throughout this process. We couldn't have done it without you," Councilmember Strauss concluded.

# # #

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.