Program areas at Chief Seattle Club
Rental assistance: csc provided rental assistance to many households. Case managers paired with financial assistance help homeless native americans obtain permanent housing through move-in assistance (first/last month's rent, security deposits, applications fees); maintain housing to prevent homelessness through eviction prevention funds (back rent, utility assistance); diversion (employment and transportation expenses to increase access to income/resources to obtain housing).
Supportive services the day center is csc's gateway program, is open 7 days a week, 364 days a year and targets homeless american indians/alaska natives. We provide basic emergency services with on-site health and human services integrated with traditional wellness. Due to covid-19, we focused on essential services and increased meal production. Responding to community needs, the Club launched domestic violence/sexual assault services, a native re-entry program, and began delivering groceries to homebound members. The Club expanded mental health services through a partnership with the cowlitz tribe. Csc provides 24/7 supportive services for members living in our affordable tax credit housing. Our supportive services are tailored to prevent members from returning to homelessness, maximize their health, safety, financial stability, and mental well-being. Csc also began providing advocacy services for victims of domestic violence. Native works offers vocational rehabilitation apprenticeship programs are provided as a gateway to full-time employment, and from there, housing. This program includes sovereignty farms, a seed-to-table social enterprise to grow and serve traditional foods for members in need. Plans are in place for the creation of the ?al?al caf at the day center.
Housing services: eagle village is the region's first bridge housing focusing on homeless american indians/alaska natives. In 2019 king county donated shipping containers formerly used by oil workers in Texas that were converted into housing units. Eagle village is staffed 24/7 including live-in advocates that were all homeless. We offer culturally-appropriate programming including talking circles, sewing circles, drum circles, mental health counseling, and a traditional medicine garden. Our housing outcomes are better than the overall homeless system with a higher rate of eagle village residents exiting into permanent housing, compared to american indian/alaska native emergency shelter residents in king county. In 2021, csc rented a motel in downtown Seattle to provide shelter and diversion services for otherwise homeless individuals during the height of the covid-19 pandemic. Other motel rooms were also provided. This effort focused on elders, people with chronic health conditions, and families with young children. The Club provided weekly grocery deliveries and wellness checks. Csc also started a re-entry program in 2021, providing a home for individuals recently leaving incarceration. ?al?al includes 80 units of affordable housing, health clinic, planned cafe, and space for Chief Seattle Club. In june 2020 csc began developing sacred medicine house - 125 units of permanent supportive housing in the lake city neighborhood of Seattle. In november 2020, csc partnered with bellwether housing to develop 200+ units of affordable housing and a coast salish longhouse at the north Seattle college campus.