Frequently Asked Questions

Issaquah Community Services (ICS) funds are available only to individuals and families who live within the Issaquah School District service area and are in need of emergency financial assistance for rent or utilities.  The Issaquah School District includes all of zip codes 98027, 98029, 98050 and 98075 and portions of 98006 and 98059. 

If you live in the Issaquah School District, you may apply for rent and/or utility assistance by following the application link on our Need Help page.  Once your application is received, you will be asked to submit some support documents and to participate in a telephone interview with one of our volunteers.  For rent assistance requests, we will contact your landlord for your rent ledger.  Once these steps are completed, we will evaluate your request to determine if can help.  

You will need to provide basic informaion about yourself and all persons living in your household. You will also be asked to describe the circumstances which have led to your needing assistance.

Documentation Required 

1. One piece of valid picture ID such as your driver’s license. 
2. Income verification for all adults (18 or over) in the household from the last 30-60 days. This could be pay stubs, unemployment and/or pension payment records, SSI statement.
3. For rent assistance, provide the first page of your current lease showing the names of all tenants, the address, name, and address of the landlord and monthly rent amount. 
4. For utility assistance, provide a copy of your current past due power or water bill and shut off or disconnect notice if you have one.  If you are requesting help with your PSE bill, please call PSE and give them permission to talk to Issaquah Community Services representatives about your account.  

Once you have submitted your application and all the required documents, the application process generally takes one to two weeks.  If you haven’t received any communication from us after seven days, you can email us to check your status. PLEASE NOTE: We will close your application if we do not receive required documentation within 30 days.

Yes, the amount of aid we can provide is limited both in the amount and frequency of availability.    We rely on the financial support of community donors for our entire budget.  The amount of assistance we offer is limited by the donations we receive and may change over time as our funds grow or are depleted.   

You may apply for rent assistance regardless of whether or not you are behind on your payments. ICS will evaluate the information you have provided to determined if you qualify for assistance. In cases where you owe more than we are able to pledge, we may make our pledge contingent on you paying or getting other pledges for the remainder of what you owe. 

For utility assistance, you must be behind on your utility bills to qualify for assistance.   

Our asssitance is a one-time payment intended for households who find themselves in a temporary financial emergency.  You may reapply at a future date if you are again in need.  

Please see our Resource page for other human services and financial aid available in this area.  You may also join our mailing list to receive emails from us about upcoming events and services available locally. 

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: August 10, 2023

Your privacy is important to us. We will never give your name, contact information, personal documents or personal information that you share with us to any person or organization outside of Issaquah Community Services (ICS) without your consent.  

We do not share our mailing lists outside of Issaquah Community Services. ICS does track website visitors through Google Analytics, but data collected is only used to improve website performance, and this data is not shared outside of ICS.

If you have any questions or concerns about your privacy regarding contact with Issaquah Community Services, please contact us at help@issaquahcommunityservices.org.

Issaquah Community Services (ICS) funds are available only to individuals and families who live within the Issaquah School District service area and are in need of emergency financial assistance for rent or utilities.  The Issaquah School District includes all of zip codes 98027, 98029, 98050 and 98075 and portions of 98006 and 98059. 

Our mission is to help neighbors pay rent and utilities when they are experiencing a financial emergency.  One-time payments are payed directly to the landlord or utility company.  Clients may reapply if in need of assistance at a future date. 

Yes, our assistance is intended for residents of the Issaquah School District who are facing an emergency financial situation.  We assist clients who are unable to pay their rent and/or utilities.  This includes those in danger of eviction utility shut-off.

Clients must be able to demonstrate a need for assistance and provide documentation of income.  Some of our funding sources are subject to income limitations.    

Issaquah Community Services (ICS) has served the greater Issaquah community as an all-volunteer non-profit for more than 50 years. Our mission is to help neighbors pay rent and utilities when they are experiencing a financial emergency. Residents of the Issaquah School District service area are eligible to apply for assistance. All payments are made directly to the landlord or utility company, never directly to the client.  

By contributing to Issaquah Community Services, you are helping local households pay their rent and utilities when they are facing financial emergencies due to things like unanticipated illness, medical expenses, car repairs and job loss. Your generosity and compassion can help put these unfortunate neighbors back on the road to financial stability. 100% of your donation will go to neighbors in need.  

100% of your donation will be used directly to assist qualified household with rent and/or utilities.  

As an all-volunteer organization with donated office space and communication services, our overhead costs are very minimal.  These administrative costs are covered through grants and not with donor contributions.

We measure our impact by the number of households and individuals we help and number of evictions and utility shutoff prevented.  We report this information to donors in our annual newsletter, issued in November, as well as on our website and social media periodically throughout the year.  

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: August 10, 2023

 Your privacy is important to us. We will never give your name, contact information, personal documents or personal information that you share with us to any person or organization outside of Issaquah Community Services (ICS) without your consent.  

We do not share our mailing lists outside of Issaquah Community Services. ICS does track website visitors through Google Analytics, but data collected is only used to improve website performance, and this data is not shared outside of ICS.

If you have any questions or concerns about your privacy regarding contact with Issaquah Community Services, please contact us at help@issaquahcommunityservices.org.

ICS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  Our federal tax ID number is 91-1499522.

Many employers match dollar for dollar the charitable gifts their employees make – some will double or even triple match an employee donation.  This is a terrific way to maximize your contribution to Issaquah Community Services. Your $100 contribution can easily turn into a $200 or more with a match from your company! Even if you’re retired, you may still be eligible to participate in your former employer’s program.  

Check with your human resources department to find out if your employer has an employer match program for charitable donations. Some of the companies in King County that offer employer match programs are Starbucks, Boeing, Microsoft, Liberty Mutual, Wells Fargo and Alaska Airlines. Program policies vary widely from company to company. Contact your HR department for policies and instructions on how to request an employer match for your charitable contributions.  

Please reach out to us by email at info@issaquahcommunityservices.org or by telephone at 425-837-3125.