Human Services Commission

The Human Services Commission is an advisory commission of the city of Lynnwood. The Commission shall focus on meeting the needs of Lynnwood's lower income residents, the homeless, seniors, veterans, victims of abuse, youth and other needs the Commission finds to be underserved. The Commission shall have the power and responsibility to perform the following functions:

• Provide advice and recommendations to the Mayor and City Council in regards to meeting the human services needs of the greater Lynnwood community;
• Prepare and maintain the Lynnwood Human Services Plan for adoption by the City Council;
• Prioritize community human services needs;
• Evaluate proposals that would seek to use city resources to meet human services needs;
• Evaluate program success in meeting service goals; and
• Advocate for funding and other resources required to meet identified services needs. 

Members of the Commission shall be appointed to a three-year term. Members shall represent the general citizenry and have an interest in human services and a commitment to human services. Individuals with knowledge and understanding of human services, such as a background that provides experience in addressing the needs of youth, seniors, veterans, homeless, etc. is highly desirable. Five of the seven members must live within Lynnwood City Limits. Members must be registered voters.

What to know about being a City of Lynnwood Human Services Commissioner 

Commissioners understand community and human service work in City of Lynnwood (COL). They are providers or people that accept services.  They use professional and lived experience to help Council and staff better understand our community needs.  Commissioners act in an advisory role to inform Council and make recommendations to support their decisions.  Human Services Commissioners amplify voices of community members with the most need. 

What Commissioners Do 

Commissioners meet once a month.  Members may join a workgroup or participate in community engagement as opportunities arise.   Regular meetings involve preparation and document review.  Workgroup or community activity involves additional follow-up work.  Commissioners are asked to an annual COL Joint Commission meeting and may also attend City Council meetings as needed to relay recommendations.  HSC members work collaboratively and cohesively with City of Lynnwood community members and providers, employees, commissions, and neighboring cities.   

What Commissioners Don’t Do 

The Human Services Commission is an advisory body, not an oversight board. While having the capacity to make recommendations, it is out of scope to legislate policy or laws or have spending authority.  The HSC can suggest or advise a city event, but not develop or coordinate one.  HSC recommendations may receive serious consideration from City Council, but not all are accepted or enacted.  

Why Commissioners Volunteer to Serve 

Commissioners hope to create change by addressing the social and human service needs in Lynnwood’s community.  For community betterment, Commissioners give voice to people’s experience that are not understood or are not part of the dialogue.  Importantly, Commissioners provide a different perspective about what is impacting themselves and the people around them, advocating for funding and other resources identified as filling the gaps, respecting, and engaging underserved and underrepresented people in the South Snohomish County Region.  Work results in improving the lives of family, friends, and people living in or visiting Lynnwood.  

Commissioner Qualifications 

Five of seven Commissioners live within Lynnwood City Limits.  

Who Are You? Some combination of... 

In 2024, Lynnwood Human Services partnered with Kone Consulting to conduct a human needs assessment for the City of Lynnwood. The purpose of the report is to provide new data on the current state of human services, identify best practices from similar municipalities, determine needs and barriers to accessing human services, and recommend strategies to address the current needs. Findings are based on publicly available data, as well as original data collected through interviews with local community-based organizations and other key stakeholders. 

2024 Human Services Needs Assessment Final Report(PDF, 909KB)