An Office of Human Resources was established in 1971 in the Executive Department to develop, implement, and manage social services for low-income and disadvantaged residents of Seattle. In 1973 it was replaced by the Department of Human Resources. DHR administered family and youth services programs, senior citizen services, community service activities, the Seattle Veterans Action Center, and the Comprehensive Residential Weatherization Program. Federal, state, and local grants comprised two-thirds of the department's operating budget. Passage of the 1986 Low Income Housing Levy increased the City's funding and policy role in housing issues. In 1991, the agency name was changed to the Department of Human Services. A year later, the Department of Housing and Human Services was created, incorporating the City housing programs and Community Development Block Grant administration from the recently abolished Department of Community Development. DHHS programs included aging services, family and youth services, housing and community services, human services, and the City's education office. In 1999, the Office of Housing was established as an independent agency and DHHS was reorganized as the Human Services Department.
Community Development Block Grants, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, were first issued to Seattle in 1975. The Human Services Department administers the program and distributes Seattle's grant funds to the city agencies and community-based social service organizations that carry out the projects. Block grant programs in the city are concentrated in low income neighborhoods and focus on housing rehabilitation; extension of human services such as child care, nutrition, victim advocacy, medical services, and employment and training; and neighborhood improvement through economic development. Reports were submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to document progress on activities and programs funded by Community Development Block Grants. The reports include detailed lists of grant-funded projects and assessments of progress made, as well as citizen comments and descriptions of citizen participation efforts. Activity summaries show the status of funds, demographic breakdowns of project beneficiaries, statistics for housing assistance programs, and other data about the projects and their results.
Arranged chronologically.
Records are open to the public.
[Item and date], Seattle Community Development Block Grant Grantee Performance Reports , Record Series 3618-03. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.
See also Series #1605-03, Community Development Block Grant Grantee Performance Reports.
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The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.