Nearly $5M in new grant funding will go toward services for homeless youth in Washington

Karlee Van De Venter
·3 min read

Nearly $5 million will go toward services and resources for youth experiencing homelessness in Washington through the allocation of new grant funding, according to an announcement from the state’s Department of Commerce.

The Office of Homeless Youth (OHY) operates under the department, which will allocate funding for the Homeless Student Stability Program, and the new Community Support Teams and Protected Healthcare Grants programs. The awards are effective through June 30, 2025.

Office of Homeless Youth efforts

Additional funding opportunities created in the 2023 legislative session allowed for two new OHY grant programs and additional funding for an existing program. The office utilized community outreach and input from youth with lived experience to create, evaluate and score applications for the programs, according to the Department of Commerce press release.

These efforts led to 19 organizations approved for funding. The $4.8 million in total is meant to prevent and address housing instability in youth by funding school-based interventions, crisis intervention for family conflict and support for youth seeking protected healthcare services, according to the DOC.

“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,” the OHY executive director, Kim Justice, stated in the press release. “These grants will provide the specialized supports they need.”

New funding for homeless youth

Homeless Student Stability Program

This funding connects housing and education systems, offering stable housing and community resources to students experiencing homelessness and their families. Applications for the grant funding were evaluated by school system partners, housing providers, young people with lived experience and other stakeholders, according to the DOC press release.

The programs receiving this funding are:

  • Anacortes Family Center - Skagit County - $181,970

  • Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services - King County - $84,574

  • Communities in Schools in Benton and Franklin Counties - $200,000

  • Communities in Schools in 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

This funding goes toward shelter teams focused on solving family conflict as well as maintaining long-term stable housing, according to the press release.

The programs receiving this funding are:

  • 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

This funding goes toward support and services for youth seeking reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare.

The programs receiving this funding are:

  • 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