Mayor Katie Wilson announced on Aug. 29 that the City was committed to providing $350,000 in funding for Community Passageways' Southeast Street Team in Rainier Beach until June 2027.
The announcement, which Wilson made at the Rainier Beach Community Center, came after months of organizing from Rainier Beach parents and community groups to save funding for the team. More than 40 people, including parents, organizers, city officials, officers with the Seattle Police Department (SPD), and representatives of various violence-interrupter groups, were at the center.
At a community meeting held earlier this summer, numerous parents voiced frustration with City officials over the anticipated end to a contract that funded Community Passageways' street team in Rainier Beach. At the time, one parent called it "another death for the kids."
Seattle's Human Services Department (HSD) is still finalizing the agreement with Community Passageways, but in an email to the Emerald, an HSD representative wrote that the anticipated agreement will provide approximately $350,000 in "one-time funding" to cover the Southeast Street Team through June 30, 2027.
The funding will support six staff members, with the scope of the agreement covering "Safe Passage, outreach, and violence-prevention coverage in the Rainier Beach corridor from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m." HSD also confirmed the funding would "complement" the work of a cohort of 19 other community-based providers in "delivering services and building relationships with young people, families, schools, and neighborhoods across Seattle."
In an email, the Mayor's Office did not specify where the $350,000 will come from. The City of Seattle is currently facing a $175 million budget deficit. Earlier this summer, City Councilmember Maritza Rivera said funding for public safety programs should be addressed in the upcoming budget cycle.
After the funding announcement was made, attendees expressed pride in their successful organizing efforts and were excited the street team would be funded for the upcoming school year. "At the end of the day, community has power," said Community Passageways CEO Dominique Davis.
Davis, with his arm around Wilson, said, "Katie, thank you for caring about our kids. We appreciate you."
Wilson, in her speech, discussed the work Community Passageways does to prevent youth gun violence and the relationships the organization builds. "Part of what makes [Rainier Beach] great are all the relationships," said Wilson. She also acknowledged that "the City hasn't always shown up" in South Seattle, but funding for Community Passageways is a first step toward ongoing work in the area to address gun violence.
In recent weeks, Wilson has focused attention on the South End, including attending the recent "Night Out" event in Rainier Beach and prioritizing traffic safety projects along dangerous roads, such as Rainier Avenue South and Martin Luther King Jr. Way South.
One parent, who spoke to the audience at the community center, acknowledged the traffic safety projects in South Seattle, but said it feels "irresponsible" to let the kids walk or bike outside because of the gun violence.
Many parents spoke in support of the work Community Passageways does, including one who said they "witnessed the earned trust of the street team." They added, "We deserve consistency." HSD wrote in an email that the funding for Community Passageways was not only to continue building those relationships but also to provide "consistent coverage" in South Seattle.
Another parent told Wilson that funding Community Passageways will "pay dividends; we just need to make sure everyone has an equal chance."
Although the parents and organizers celebrated the funding, the consensus was that there is more work to do. Community members said they want greater investments in preventing youth gun violence, including funding for Community Passageways after 2027, as well as Community Passageways school-based staff to return to Rainier Beach.
Parents and organizers also encouraged Wilson to meet with young people in South Seattle.
Currently, Community Passageways contracts with the City for hospital-based intervention, citywide support services, work in the Central District, and school-based services. Along with the street team, Community Passageways also operates diversion and mentorship programs for youth and young adults.
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