Byrd Barr Place

For more than 50 years, Byrd Barr Place has provided Seattle residents with basic human needs—a warm home, food on the table, and immediate financial relief—so they can break the cycle of poverty and build self-sufficiency. Byrd Barr Place’s programs include housing and energy assistance, a food bank, and personal finance resources, with special attention given to emergency situations, such as power shutoff and eviction.

Byrd Barr Place's clients come from all parts of the city, with varied social, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. They include refugees and immigrants, the elderly, and the disabled. Most clients live at 150% or more below the federal poverty level.

As a member of the WSCAP network — Byrd Barr Place also works to identify statewide issues and social and economic trends so that we can respond to their client’s most critical needs, and they provide quantitative and qualitative data on Black Washingtonians. Byrd Barr Place is committed to engaging their community, to collective action, and to advocate for more equitable opportunities so everyone has the chance to build a good life.

As the leader of the Seattle Community of Practice, Byrd Barr Place collaborates with other community organizations to address specific challenges and opportunities for African Americans, including access to and quality of education, housing, jobs, and health care.

BYRD BARR PLACE MISSION: “Byrd Barr Place is committed to helping people help themselves through direct services, community action, and advocacy.”

BYRD BARR PLACE VISION: “The vision that guides us is of a strong and vibrant community, where all people have access to basic human needs and opportunities that support their health, well-being and prosperity, and that enable them to attain their full potential. In short, equity for all.”