Serving Community Begins with Listening
Seattle Indian Services Commission leads by listening to the Native community. Over the years, the Commission has nurtured lasting relationships with the urban Native people of Seattle. Our priority is to build good relations by listening to what our community needs and use our resources to transform them into action.
Making Housing Possible for Urban Natives
SISC conducted a Housing Needs Assessment to fill gaps in data concerning the needs of Native residents in King County and to support local programs serving American Indian and Alaska Natives. This research is simultaneously informing the development of Native Village projects that will serve as centers for affordable housing and culturally relevant services for the urban Native population.
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Investing in affordable housing for working families
Providing services that enable access to affordable housing increases opportunities for employment. SISC is committed to investing in affordable housing options solutions for working urban Native families.
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Education Support
SISC strives to connect existing and potential students of all ages to relevant services to increase the rate of completion of higher education and increasing the likelihood of stability in housing access.
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Health and Wellness Services
This is an area where SISC could help direct people in need with existing services, supporting culturally relevant approaches to developing housing. Services should meet the needs of multiple generations of family members, from newborns to elders.
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Centering Culture and Community
Services providers have uplifted that community gathering space, cultural healing, social services, proximity to public transportation and parking are critical in any new housing development.
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Re-Developing the Pearl Warren Building to Provide Essential Services
Based on the level of interest in and need for culturally appropriate affordable housing for Native individuals and families in King County and greater Puget Sound, the Native Village is ideally situated near public transportation, employment opportunities and vital community facilities and services
Additional resources
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![WA statewide AIAN housing needs assessment]()
Assessment of the housing needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians in Washington
Addresses the current housing needs of Washington’s various Native communities, including tribal and urban Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, as well as various housing needs and barriers specific to certain regions of the state.
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![Native Neighborhood Community Study]()
NATIVE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY STUDY
A community-directed research study that encourages Indigenous communities to radically dream of urban Native places that are healing, safe, multi-functional, multi-generational, and holistically care for current and future generations. Report produced by sləp̓iləbəxʷ (Rising Tides) – Indigenous Planning Group and Na’ah Illahee Fund.
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![Lift Up the Sky 2014 Report]()
A vision for the urban Indian Community
This 2014 report on the Assessment of Assets and Opportunities of the King County Urban Indian Population, resulted in the Seattle Urban Native Nonprofits coalition. Report developed by Kauffman and Associates, Inc., under contract with United Way of King County, and with the support of the City of Seattle, The Seattle Foundation, and the Muckleshoot Charity Fund.
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![2023 Tribal Nations Summit]()
Tribal Nations Summit
The City of Seattle Tribal Nations Summit that took place on May 2, 2023, was a historic event in the City’s 154-year history. Notably, it is the first time in the City of Seattle’s history that convened an official government-to-government meeting of City elected leaders and senior officials with multiple federally recognized Tribes in the state of Washington.
