Media Coverage

Financial lifeline works to keep vulnerable WA youth housed

Homelessness, though discussed as a current crisis, is an old problem. One reason it persists may be the traditional reluctance of government to listen to those facing it and design responses with their guidance in mind. Call it the “professionals-know-best” approach to a wildly complex puzzle.

That kind of hubris marked King County’s 2005 declaration that homelessness would be eradicated within a decade — a cruel joke to anyone walking through downtown Seattle today.

But state officials are beginning to change course. Between 2016 and 2022, Washington cut homelessness among youth and young adults by a whopping 40%, according to newly released data. A large part of this success came through heeding interviews with young adults, aged 18 to 24.

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