As the school year comes to an end, rising concerns about the increasing cost of living in Seattle continue to affect college students in the area.
Here are some resources to help navigate affordable rental options in Seattle.
Seattle Housing Authority
The Seattle Housing Authority provides assistance for renters looking for long-term affordable housing options in the Seattle area. Throughout the city, the organization owns and operates 8,777 apartments and single-family homes. They also own nearly 400 sites throughout the city. The Seattle Housing Authority provides low-income tenants who are eligible with housing vouchers for rental assistance. Anyone who is over the age of 18 and has lived in the city of Seattle for at least a year can apply. Applicants with an income of 30% or less than the area median income or homeless for the last 12 months will take precedence.
More details on the eligibility criteria are online at seattlehousing.org.
Catholic Community Services
Catholic Housing Services is a subsidiary of Catholic Community Services of Western Washington that partners with local and federal agencies to provide permanent, transitional and senior housing to Seattle Residents. With 22 shelters, 17 housing facilities and 52 permanent properties across Western Washington to eligible low-income residents. To apply, potential residents are encouraged to contact the property managers directly, depending on which property they are inquiring about.
Compass Housing Alliance
This organization provides housing to low-income individuals, with 15 properties across the Puget Sound. They provide accommodations for tenants with disabilities and service animals. Those interested are encouraged to apply on the website by filling out an interest form, where potential tenants will provide information about their income and preferences. Applications can be downloaded via their website, compassinghousingalliance.org, and sent to [email protected].
Plymouth Housing Group
This organization owns and operates several historic and new construction properties across downtown, central, north Seattle and Bellevue. The building offers communal spaces such as kitchens and gardens, and some of the properties have on-site medical offices with medical professionals from Harborview Medical Center and Neighborcare Health. This organization provides housing to residents who are currently homeless within the Seattle area. Those interested can fill out a risk assessment form through the Regional Homeless Authority’s Coordinated Entry (CE) system. For additional questions about the housing requirements for this organization, please email [email protected].
Affordable Housing Search Tool
For adults who are not sure what eligibility requirements they may meet, or what properties are in their area. There is the low-income housing tool at AptFinder.org. This resource helps candidates for affordable housing narrow their search by looking at listings based on their location, rent affordability and the program type.
Additional information on housing options in King County is located at seattle.gov.
Next, here are some resources to help navigate options for accessible and affordable food in Seattle.
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
If you’re a resident of Washington state, meet the low-income requirements and meet the immigration requirements, you are eligible to apply for the food assistance program. To apply, you can go online or call (877)-501-2233, or make an appointment at your local DSHS office. After scheduling an interview, you can meet with a representative to determine your eligibility for assistance. Eligibility is determined based on several factors, including income, deductions and family size. College students who work on average 20 hours a week, are eligible for work study, and who take care of dependents are all encouraged to apply.
Byrd Barr Place
An advocacy organization that provides a plethora of services, but also owns and operates a food bank called the Market within the Central District. The market provides fresh produce, meat, dairy, products, bread, nonperishables and non-grocery essentials. The Market is open Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays 12-4 p.m. and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Since the federal government provides some products, visitors are asked to bring proof of residency within the Seattle area; that proof can be a photo identification, a utility or medical bill or printed documents that verify someone’s address.
The Market is located at 722 18th Ave. For people without access to transportation, the Byrd Barr Place offers delivery to those who live within the 98102, 98112 or 98122 zip codes. Contact (206)-812-4940 to schedule a weekly home delivery.
For additional information about Byrd Barr Place and their resources, contact [email protected].
Pike Market Food Bank
Pike Market Senior Center and Food Bank provide free groceries and ready-to-eat food to people of all ages. The market is located in the Pike Market parking garage on the fifth level. The hours of operation are Tuesday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. They also offer an express bag hour on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. There is a limit that clients may come to the food bank once per week, and the organization asked that people not arrive early and crowd the waiting area. For people without housing or experiencing a crisis, those clients may come in once a day for nonperishable foods. During hours of operation, staff are available to connect visitors with interpreters in the following languages: Cantonese, Vietnamese and Mandarin.
The Food Bank also provides a home delivery service to eligible residents in downtown Seattle. For more information about this food bank, call (206)-626-6462
If you’re looking to volunteer or donate at a local food bank, contact Seattle Food Committee at (206) 694-6830.
