Food & housing
Emergency housing
While the Department of Commerce does not provide direct assistance for obtaining housing, they provide links to several resources on their housing webpage.
2-1-1 connects callers, at no cost, to critical health and human services in their community, including emergency housing assistance.
Food assistance
Find your neighborhood food bank
Families like yours get healthy food and a lot more through the Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC)
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), called Basic Food in Washington, helps people with low incomes make ends meet by providing monthly benefits to buy food.
Debit-style cards similar to those described above are available to many non-citizens who meet all the other program requirements. You can apply for this benefit with the State Food Assistance Program Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
In Western Washington, find a Food Lifeline partner in your area.
Throughout Washington, find a Northwest Harvest partner in your area
Check your local school district webpage to find a meal service location near you.
In Eastern Washington, find a Second Harvest partner in your area.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched an online tool – the “Meals for Kids” Site Finder – to help families find meals for children while schools are closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Connect with home-delivery meals and similar services on the Washington Community Living Connections website.
Find information about food pantries in your area on the Washington State Department of Agriculture's food assistance webpage
The Washington State Department of Agriculture provides information for food providers,
Washington Connection offers a fast and easy way for families and individuals to apply for a variety of services such as cash, child care, long-term care, and Medicare Savings Programs
The WA Food Fund relief effort is being managed by Philanthropy Northwest, a network of philanthropic organizations committed to helping communities across the Northwest.
Find food bank locations for the outer coast
Rent assistance
The governor has issued a statewide moratorium on evictions of residential tenants for non-payment.
Dept. of Commerce Eviction Rent Assistance program, funded with federal CARES Act dollars, may prevent evictions by paying past due and current/future rent for people in distress. Rental assistance will be provided through local housing providers in each community, not directly from Commerce. List of Eviction Rent Assistance Program providers.