Presented by Hopelink
For many families in North and East King County, something routine, like an oil change on an old car, can cause panic.
“You have to have the oil changed but if you are driving a beater, there may be a long list of things that need to be done and you can’t afford,” said Lucy Pyeatt, the director of financial and education programs at Hopelink.
Financial constraints are tightening on King County families. According to the 2025 Community Needs Assessment (CNA) released by Hopelink, more than 40% of renters are considered "cost-burdened" and struggling to stay in their homes. The “silent generation” of senior citizen homeowners are also suffering, with rocketing energy prices, cost of repairs, and property taxes threatening to price them out of their homes.
As a federally designated Community Action Agency, Hopelink must conduct this CNA every three years. The current CNA covers Hopelink’s service areas in East and North King County. The results inform the nonprofit’s strategic plan to address the issues found in the community.
The outlook remains disturbingly bleak for those who earn less than $100,000 a year. Currently, a family of four who make 300% of the federal poverty level or around $96,450/year are spending a disproportionate share of their income on housing. Typically, the families receiving assistance from Hopelink earn far less. In some cases, both parents can have full-time jobs and still not be able to keep up with the cost of housing.
This means even small emergencies, like dental work or a car repair, can leave many families unable to meet their monthly bills.
Hopelink operates in some of King County’s most affluent areas but that does not lessen the need for help.
“Our report shows the impact of the high cost of living on nurses, teachers, those with medical needs, or those who lose their jobs temporarily,” Pyeatt said. “Our threshold for financial assistance is currently 200% of federal poverty level or 50% of area medium income. We also have a number of programs that do not have an income limit.”
The nonprofit has seen a surge of calls from residents seeking emergency assistance to avoid eviction. The report highlights a growing crisis as rental prices become increasingly out of reach for low-income workers and seniors with limited resources.
Pay or vacate notifications are on the rise, said Cindy Donohue, senior manager for financial assistance at Hopelink, as COVID-era protections and housing supplements have ended. She also noted that a higher percentage of their calls for assistance come from Bellevue. Hopelink found seniors, immigrant families and individuals with limited English face the steepest challenges finding assistance, even though there may be help out there.
“The main focus of our financial resiliency program is to help people in a crisis mode. Maybe they lost their job, or maybe they got sick and lost hours at work,” Donohue said.
Once they enter the Hopelink system, clients can receive 90 days of support — from filling out rental-assistance applications, help with budgeting, and finding other non-monetary ways to access aid.
But sometimes cash to pay the bills is the only workable solution. A GoBank survey in 2024 estimated that nearly half of Americans have less than $600 in savings, living paycheck to paycheck. From the stories that Hopelink staff hear daily, this seems likely for many who come to them for aid.
“It’s really difficult for the majority of our clients to build a savings,” Donohue said. “One crisis can put them over the edge financially. To where they get behind on some of their basic needs, like housing or food.”
“We can pay (a non-rental) bill up front. Sometimes that is all the client needs to stop a downward spiral,” Donohue said. “Maybe it’s buying the steel-toed boots for a job or paying for the nursing certification.”
While incomes in East and North King County have risen, the gains are quickly outpaced by the rise in the cost of living, leading to persistent economic vulnerability. Currently, nearly 1 in 5 households in the area do not earn enough to meet basic needs. Even those with fulltime jobs may not have the savings to weather an unexpected emergency.
Last year, Hopelink distributed more than $1 million for financial assistance.
“A key element is our flexible financial assistance,” Pyeatt said.
Rental assistance may be available from local, state, or federal programs. Hopelink helps with referrals to those programs as well as their own assistance programs as noted by Donohue.
While the gap between funding and community need remains a challenge, Hopelink staff said they stay focused on strategies designed to help individuals secure stable housing and move out of poverty. Counselors focus on solutions going beyond simple one-time payments to encourage mediation with local landlords, budgeting, and accessing other services to help their clients avoid reaching the crisis point of eviction.
Sometimes it can be as simple as letting people know about Hopelink’s extensive food assistance program. Reducing grocery bills can help bridge the gap for many people, giving them more resources to direct toward housing, Donohue said.
Hopelink is the local provider of energy assistance programs for the area, Pyeatt said. This also draws many people to them and helps lower the cost of living, allowing residents — especially those on fixed incomes — to remain in their homes.
With more than 73,000 residents served in its 2025 fiscal year , Hopelink remains a key partner to city, state, and national efforts to lessen the impact of high housing costs on financial stability.
Presented by Hopelink