To alleviate the financial hardships endured by victims of hate crimes in immigrant communities, the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) has established a Victim Compensation Fund aimed at providing monetary assistance. The Korean Community Service Center (KCSC) is at the forefront of this initiative, having been selected to administer a $150,000 one-time cash assistance fund to eligible individuals and families affected by such violence.
Violence targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities has seen a distressing increase since the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020. These incidents, which range from physical assaults to home invasions, have imparted significant emotional and fiscal strain on the victims and their families. To address these challenges, OIRA, after holding listening sessions in 2023 with AAPI community organizations, acknowledged the critical need for resources to support the reverberations of this violence.
April 2024 marked the commencement of a public Request for Proposals Process by OIRA, culminating in the grant awarded to the KCSC. This award represents a tangible step towards providing support to those who have been directly impacted by hate or identity-based crimes. The fund is designated to cover various expenses incurred by the victims, including medical bills, counseling, funeral costs, housing support, as well as compensation for loss of wages and property damage.
Residents and workers in Seattle, or students of the city's schools, are advised to contact KCSC if they or their family members have been victims of hate crimes since 2020. The eligibility criteria for the fund state that applicants must be low-income (80% Area Median Income), either an immigrant or refugee, or a family member of the impacted individual – which could include siblings, parents, legal guardians, caregivers, or spouses/domestic partners.
For more information about the KCSC and the Victim Compensation Fund, or to apply for assistance, individuals can visit the Office of Immigrants and Refugee Affairs for the City of Seattle.
