King County COVID-19 Response Grants

Funder: Legal Foundation of Washington (in partnership with King County)

Geographic Scope: King County, Washington

Focus Areas:

• Civil legal aid response to COVID-19 crisis
• Housing assistance (eviction prevention, tenant rights)
• Immigration legal services
• Education advocacy for disabled students
• Small business and nonprofit legal support
• Services for unaccompanied immigrant children

Allocation: Up to $2 million in 2022

Funding Source: Federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, approved by King County Council

Partnership between LFW and King County to allocate federal COVID relief funds for civil legal aid. The program addresses the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on populations already facing civil legal barriers.

Examples of 2022 Grantees:

• Catholic Community Services of Western Washington's Tenant Law Center: $160,000 - Legal services to King County renters for housing issues, focusing on immigrant and BIPOC communities
• Colectiva Legal del Pueblo: $80,000 - Direct legal representation for immigrant communities
• Communities Rise: $150,000 - Legal assistance for nonprofits and small businesses
• Disability Rights Washington: $80,000 - Individual legal representation and education assistance for disabled students
• Eastside Legal Assistance Program: $125,000 - Pro bono services to low-income residents with emphasis on underserved rural populations
• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): $80,000 - Legal and social services for unaccompanied immigrant children
• King County Bar Association: $360,000 - Legal advice and representation through various clinics and programs

Contact Information:

• Legal Foundation of Washington
• 500 Union St, Suite 1025
• Seattle, WA 98101
• Phone: (206) 624-2536
• Fax: (206) 382-3396

Background: This program was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic's disproportionate impact on already vulnerable populations.