Seattle’s equity task force releases investment recommendations
Jun 4, 2021, 8:44 AM
People walk by public art in the shape of a fist in Cal Anderson Park in the protest area known as CHOP on June 20, 2020, in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)
The City of Seattle is moving forward with a plan to invest millions in improving equity for local communities of color, which will start with a $100 million commitment in 2021.
COVID, community safety, investing in BIPOC communities top priorities in Seattle mayor’s budget
The Equitable Communities Initiative Task Force, convened by Mayor Jenny Durkan, released its recommendations Thursday for how some of that money should be spent.
The recommendations feature four core priority areas or “pillars,” identified as:
- Building opportunity through small business support
- Developing diverse and culturally competent educators and education opportunities
- Accessing affordable housing, land acquisition and generational wealth
- Increasing positive health outcomes
The task force says it is proposing to allocate approximately one quarter of the pledged $30 million in spending and programs among each of these four pillars.
Next, the mayor’s office will turn these recommendations into an ordinance, and then send it to the Seattle City Council.
Seattle launches Equitable Communities Initiative Task Force to guide BIPOC investment
Established by Mayor Durkan in October 2020, the task force is made up of 26 members. Durkan charged them with “developing strategies that begin to address the disparities caused by years of disinvestment in communities of color,” recognizing that this, as a release about the recommendations states, will not be an overnight process.
View the ECI Task Force Investment Recommendations presentation online here.
The KIRO Radio Newsdesk contributed to this report.
Follow @http://twitter.com/Mynorthwest
