Social Welfare

Seattle and King County are reeling from both immediate and anticipated impacts from the second Trump administration. Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci are leading efforts to prepare for the volatility and protect community members. 

Emboldened by the Supreme Court's sweep-friendly Grants Pass decision, the Seattle City Council is advancing stay out zones in hopes of criminalizing drug abuse, sex work, and homelessness out of existence. History suggests this will not work.

Research has showed the promise of guaranteed basic income programs to interrupt the cycle of poverty, and participants in King County's pilot program told The Urbanist that it had helped them improve their circumstances.

Raise the Wage Burien is bringing together a coalition of workers, community groups, and labor unions to gather petition signatures to put a measure on the ballot this fall to raise Burien’s minimum wage to parity with nearby cities like Tukwila, SeaTac, Seattle, and Renton. In contrast, the city council's version is riddled with loopholes.

Renton voters have until February 13 to vote in a special election on the measure putting the city's minimum wage in line with Tukwila and SeaTac.

Shops in unincorporated King County may have to accept cash as payment if the King County Council moves forward with a proposal meant to...

This Transpo Notes roundup touches on a mix of transit stories, including: Zero youth fares and ORCA Lift fare reduction begin;ORCA card readers are getting...

Planning for aging communities is increasingly important. Vox visits Weesp, a small city in The Netherlands, to understand how the "dementia village" model works...