Invest in Human Services

Prioritizing Our Community

In 2021, I committed to prioritizing investments in our Human Services, recognizing that a thriving community depends on the well-being of everyone. My professional background in human services has deeply informed my approach to policy-making, ensuring that empathy and equity are at the forefront of our initiatives.

✅ Enhanced Support Systems: By increasing funding, we expanded partnerships with local non-profit organizations, ensuring that essential services such as housing assistance, mental health supports, and recreation services are more accessible to those in need. Most recently, alongside the Renton School District and Health Commons, we launched the Renton Student Health Hub, a prevention and early intervention service to avoid mental and behavioral health crisis.

✅ Community-Centric Programs: In the 2019/2020 budget, the City of Renton allocated $15,436,224 for Recreation and Human Services. Leveraging my background, I advocated for programs that empower and enhance our community, and we allocated a total of $25,434,576 for Recreation and Human Services in the 2025/2026 biennial budget, a near 65% increase in funding since the 2019/2020 budget.

✅ Update the 2014 Community Needs Assessment: We implemented data-driven approaches to ensure we have the most up to date information on out ever-growing community with our new Human Services Assessment. I chaired the Community Services Committee in both 2022 and 2023, where I worked with my colleagues and staff for the update to be completed in 2024. Hopefully the mayor will allow the public to access the updated information 2025.