What is the Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program?
The Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program (DVCEP) is a result of years of community advocacy and the adoption of the Duwamish Valley Community Benefits Commitment Policy Directive. The commitment enables the Port of Seattle to advance its mission to promote economic opportunity and quality of life in the region by advancing trade, travel, commerce, and job creation in an equitable, accountable, and environmentally responsible manner. The Port’s partnership with the community’s advisory group, the Port Community Action Team (PCAT) will ensure the DVCEP achieves three shared goals:
Goal 1: Community and Port Capacity Building for Ongoing Collaboration
Goal 2: Healthy Environment and Communities
Goal 3: Economic Prosperity in Place
What are we doing in the Duwamish Valley?
Over the past year, community members and organizations co-created the Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program Strategic Plan. The strategic plan and a general program update were presented to the Port of Seattle Commission on June 9, 2026. To listen to the meeting recording, please visit: Regular Meeting Jun 09, 2026 12:00pm - The Port of Seattle Commission
The DVCEP Strategic Plan 2026–2029 is organized into three phases, each representing a distinct period of work with a specific strategic focus. These phases outline how the program will build capacity, activate implementation, and evaluate progress to support long-term community impact.
Phase 1: Building Capacity and Foundations (2026 – 2027)
Phase 2: Activation and Implementation (2027 – 2028)
Phase 3: Expansion, Evaluation, and Long-Term Sustainability (2028 – 2029)
In April of 2026, we hosted a Port Pathways Hiring Fair at the Duwamish River Community Hub that attracted over 120 job seekers and 10 employers to participate.
In Summer of 2026, we advanced multiple objectives in goals two and three through collaboration with various community-based organizations to hold events, such as Terminal 5 visit, Annual Duwamish River Multilingual Boat Tour, and Gateway Park North Activation event. We hosted two Duwamish-Valley-youths as program interns, please read their blog post on their impactful internship here Internships Improve the Lives of Duwamish Youth | Port of Seattle. Specifically, a series of hands-on activities were offered to local youth to advance Goal 3, Objective 2: Create a Youth Workforce Education and Exploration Plan and Program. Please read our blog post on Career-Connected Learning Opportunities for Duwamish Valley Youth here: Career-Connected Learning Opportunities for Duwamish Valley Youth.
How to get involved?
- Subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed about the Port’s current work in and with the Duwamish Valley community! This is a quarterly newsletter including program updates, upcoming events and engagement opportunities with the Port of Seattle, information about the Duwamish River Community Hub, and updates from the Port Community Action Team.
- Visit the Duwamish River Community Hub at 8600 14th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108. The Hub is a place-based economic development center promoting community access to Port-related careers and business opportunities.
- Reach out to the Duwamish Valley Port Community Action Team (PCAT) | Port of Seattle at [email protected].
Brief history
The Duwamish Valley is a vibrant, diverse, and resilient community with a long history of advocacy. According to the City of Seattle’s 2023 Neighborhood Snapshot, South Park’s population is 66.4% Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) and 37.1% of residents speak a language other than English at home. People who live and work in the neighborhoods of South Park and Georgetown have faced a trifecta of challenges to the health of the land, air and water in their community. This is due to a legacy of redlining, industrial zoning and activity adjacent to residential areas, and proximity to the activity of the Duwamish River: two airports, major highways, and the movement of freight by rail and trucks. The disproportionate exposure to pollution, lack of greenspace, and high poverty rates contribute to life expectancy in South Park and Georgetown that is 13 years lower than wealthier communities in Seattle. To begin addressing environmental justice issues and examine ways near-port communities can also benefit from being port neighbors, the Port and Just Health Action partnered on a pilot project funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency that facilitated dialogue and engagement between ports and communities experiencing environmental justice issues. That pilot program led to the creation of the DVCEP.
In recognition of the institutional racism that has “contributed to both inequities in the distribution of the Port’s economic prosperity benefits and to environmental degradation amongst near-Port communities compared to others, particularly those facing economic challenges,” the Port passed Resolution 3767 in 2019 to establish a community benefits commitment to guide the implementation of the DVCEP and other port operations that impact the Duwamish Valley Community. This policy resolution was the effort of years of concerted organizing and advocacy efforts of South Park and Georgetown residents and community members. It is a testament to the resilience, creativity, and strength of this community as well as a mechanism to hold the Port accountable to being a more responsive and equitable government entity.
Please visit our program history page for an in-depth version: Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program History | Port of Seattle
Contact
Charmi Ajmera, Senior Program Manager, Duwamish Valley Engagement | [email protected]
Joycelyn Chui, Program Coordinator, Duwamish Valley Engagement | [email protected]
