Bellevue's roughly 61,000 foreign-born residents gained access Tuesday, Aug. 18, to a new $1.15 million public-private fund aimed at mental health services, basic needs and legal safety education amid concerns about federal immigration enforcement in South King County.
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced the South King County Immigrant and Refugee Futures Fund (SIRFF), committing $900,000 in county dollars. The Renton Regional Community Foundation (RRCF) will match at least $250,000, and the fund will operate through 2027.
"I've heard directly from immigrant and refugee residents about how the fear of federal immigration enforcement is taking a toll on their health and wellbeing, especially for communities in South King County," Zahilay said in the Public Health – Seattle & King County announcement.
Bellevue is listed as one of the locations the partnership will serve. According to King County's 2025 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, the city had 61,319 foreign-born residents based on 2018–2022 Census estimates, roughly 41% of its population and the highest foreign-born share among the King County Consortium jurisdictions analyzed.
What the fund covers
SIRFF will channel money to community organizations for four categories of support: basic needs such as food and housing stabilization, rapid-response training for families, safety education, and mental health and community care programs.
Two Best Starts for Kids programs within Public Health – Seattle & King County will direct the county's role: Communities of Opportunity and the Community Well-Being Initiative. The latter will focus mental health resources on immigrants, refugees and LGBTQ+ communities.
RRCF will lead implementation alongside the Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation. Which organizations receive grants and how much they get is still being developed with community partners, according to the announcement.
Follows February emergency allocation
The new fund builds on a $2 million emergency allocation Zahilay announced in February 2026 as part of his Protecting Immigrant and Refugee Communities Executive Order. That money went to community organizations for housing stabilization, legal aid and food assistance countywide.
Several Bellevue-based organizations already serve the populations SIRFF targets. The Immigrant Women's Community Center, headquartered in Bellevue, serves more than 225 families. 4 Tomorrow, a Latino and youth-focused group also based in Bellevue, covers East King County. The Chinese Information and Service Center operates offices in Bellevue, Renton and Redmond.
What's next
The county has not published an application portal or intake process for residents seeking services. Grant timelines and specific organizational awards are expected as RRCF finalizes details with community partners. The fund runs through 2027.
