Bellevue’s high-rise buildings and well-to-do reputation have not been able to withstand the ongoing economic recession that has hit cities nationwide.

Bellevue, in fact, was hit hard.

City staff presented the 2009-2010 Human Services Needs Update to the City Council on Monday, handing over their findings outlining a significant rise in unemployment, emergency financial assistance needs, food bank demand and domestic violence services.

According to the document, the demand for services from nonprofit agencies has increased dramatically, including a 49 percent increase in emergency financial assistance requests.

With a 7.2 percent unemployment rate in Bellevue, a number of agencies are impacted including community food banks, which have reported a 31 percent rise in services provided to clients. The demand for domestic violence services have also sky rocketed by a 50 percent increase over past years.

The Human Services Needs document is produced every two years and is used by the council to determine and prioritize funding for human service projects in Bellevue.

“Human Services is a category of services provided by government that have been ravaged by the downturn in the economy, particularly in the downturn of revenues at the county and state level, …” said Steve Sarkozy, the City Manager at the Jan. 4, presentation to the council. “Decisions by the council are based on a thorough understanding of community needs and a significant area in these troubling times is the area of human service needs.”

The Needs Update is a compilation of extensive data gathering, including telephone and online surveys, focus groups and interviews with Bellevue residents.

To gather the information for the 2009-2010 document, the city hired a contractor back in February 2009 to field a phone survey to over 400 residents. City staff also conducted over 20 focus groups and 50 providers completed an on-line survey about the human services needs of their clients, as well as surveys with faith communities.

Over 100 written surveys were completed by consumers of human services at food banks, public health clinics, at Crossroads Mini-City Hall and English as a second language classes.

Community members reported the issue of transportation as one of the top priority concerns for the future. Comments from the 2009 phone survey indicated that not having a convenient, affordable way to access services or work is a major barrier, especially for people with low-income and disabilities.

One regional group that will utilize the Services Needs information is the King County Special Needs Transportation Steering Committee, whose goal is to increase coordination of transportation options for older adults, people with disabilities, youth and families with low-incomes, as required by the Federal Transit Administration. Another local group exploring ways to improve mobility options for these populations is the Eastside Easy Rider Collaborative, a consortium of public and nonprofit entities including the city of Bellevue, Hopelink, King County Metro, Senior Services, Sound Transit and Seattle-King County Aging and Disabilities Services.

“The Human Services Commission will rely very heavily on the findings and indicators in the 2009-2010 Human Services Needs Update as we prepare for the 2011-2012 funding process,” said Jan Stout, past chair of the Bellevue Human Services Commission. “Our role is to help ensure that Bellevue continues to be a vibrant and caring community that invests in its residents.”

Bellevue is one of the only Eastside King County cities to conduct a Needs Update and has been doing so since the late 1980s. Funding for human services for 2010 was increased by 3.8 percent by the City Council over the 2009 funding level of nearly $2.4 million. Additional funds approved by the council will fund 10 new programs and expand funding above the rate of inflation for 19 programs, including Emergency Feeding Program, World Impact Network’s food bank, Refugee Women’s Alliance’s program to enroll families in the Basic Food Program, Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council’s homeless housing and rental assistance program, and St. Andrews Housing Group’s supportive services for residents in affordable housing.

Lindsay Larin can be reached at 425-453-4602.

An online copy of the 2010-2011 Human Services Needs Update full report will be available by Jan. 15, at http://www.bellevuewa.gov/human_services.htm.