Updated 2:05 p.m. 1/24/24

Funding aims to meet young people where they are, through schools, community services, and health services

OLYMPIA, WA — Washington’s Office of Homeless Youth (OHY) in the Department of Commerce today announced $4.8 million in grants to 19 organizations to help prevent and address housing instability among young people. Grants will fund school-based interventions, crisis interventions to help youth and families resolve conflict, and support to youth seeking protected health care services.

“Our goal is to meet young people struggling with housing stability where they are, whether that’s at school, in a shelter, or through their interaction with the health care system,” said Office of Homeless Youth Executive Director Kim Justice.  “These grants will help provide the specialized supports they need.”

Grants awarded through the following programs are effective through June 30, 2025:

Homeless Student Stability Program – $1,646,100: Funding to bring housing and education systems together to link students experiencing homeless and their families to stable housing and community resources across the state. The program was expanded in the 2023-25 budget to provide additional housing support for the nearly 40,000 students experiencing homelessness, over 5,000 of whom are experiencing unaccompanied homelessness.

Building Changes was contracted by the OHY to conduct a competitive procurement to award grants through the program. Applications were evaluated by young people with lived experience, housing providers, school system partners, and other community stakeholders.

• Anacortes Family Center, Skagit County, $181,970
• Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services, King County, $84,574
• Communities In Schools Benton Franklin, Benton/Franklin County, $200,000
• Communities In Schools Lakewood, Pierce County, $180,036
• Housing Hope DBA Improving Schools Attendance Collaborative, Snohomish County, $200,000
• Neighborhood House, King County, $199,520
• Northeast Washington Educational Services District 101, Spokane County, $200,000
• Second Chance Outreach DBA Hope for Homies, Snohomish County, $200,000
• YWCA Seattle, King County, $200,000

Community Support Teams – $1,405,800: Funding to convene Community Support Teams for youth accessing shelter, for the purpose of identifying supports focused on resolving family conflict and obtaining and maintaining long-term stable housing.

• YMCA Greater Seattle, serving Pierce County, $400,400
• Catholic Charities Eastern Washington, Walla Walla, $400,400
• API Chaya, King County, $302,500
• Rod’s House, Yakima County, $302,500

Protected Healthcare Grants – $1.8 million: Funding to provide a broad range of support and services to youth seeking gender-affirming and/or reproductive health care.

• Seattle Indian Health Board, King County, $400,000
• Spectrum Center, Spokane County, $320,000
• Stonewall Youth, Thurston County, $300,000
• Oasis Youth Center, Pierce County, $260,000
• Northwest Youth Services, Whatcom County, $260,000
• United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance (UTOPIA) Washington, King County, $260,000

The Community Support Teams and Protected Healthcare grants are new programs, resulting from legislation passed during the 2023 legislative session (ESSB 5599 and HSB 1406). The OHY conducted outreach and listening sessions prior to releasing the competitive funding applications, to learn from communities about how the grants could be most impactful to the young people they intend to serve. The office engaged young people with lived experience across the state to develop application questions and content, and review, evaluate and score applications for these grants.

Washington’s Office of Homeless Youth is part of the Washington State Department of Commerce, which funds programs aimed at addressing homelessness and affordable housing across the state. Learn more about the Office of Homeless Youth on the Commerce website.

###