Governor Ferguson and the incoming Washington State Legislature, welcome to this new session and a new beginning for Washington state. Our state has always been a place for visionaries, and I know you all will bring that spirit to your work over the next several months.
I want to flag a tremendous opportunity for you—the opportunity to make Washington the first in the nation to end youth homelessness.
Youth homelessness happens in every county of our state. It happens in your home county. It happens in red communities and in blue communities. It happens in communities where there are kids.
In 2015, Washington was the first state to establish an Office of Homeless Youth and to create a coordinated statewide approach to preventing and ending youth homelessness. Because of OHY, there is now a plan in every county, including yours.
The Yes to Yes Report, based on data collected from 2016-2022, proves that this innovative collaborative approach paid off—the state has seen a whopping 40% reduction in youth homelessness. That’s 9,740 young people who are no longer experiencing homelessness since OHY’s founding.
We can’t afford to lose momentum. In this session, we must commit to maintaining and growing the Office of Homeless Youth so that they can continue their vital role of community coordination, program development, and smart, equity-driven interventions.
There are still 14,303 young people living in cars, on sofas, and by their wits. You can be the Legislature to find them safe homes.
The budget is difficult this session and I know you want the most efficient government possible. Efficacy, however, doesn’t necessarily mean scaling back. Strong leadership is about finding what works and investing further.
I am asking you to double down on youth homelessness. Further investment in housing stability is the most efficient way forward. There are policies in place that work; keep them working.
- Continue investing in the Office of Homeless Youth. OHY offers innovative solutions to a systemic problem—no more kids should fall through adult-sized cracks. OHY is at the nexus of good policy, effective evaluation, and smart resource management.
- Stable housing creates stable adults. With long-term housing stability, youth are able to maintain safe relationships, stay in school, and go on to higher education or join the workforce. Data that shows that 48% of people who are chronically homeless first experienced housing instability before age 25.
- Flexible cash assistance is a small investment with a great return. The Homelessness Prevention and Diversion Fund, a key innovation of our state, provides small grants of cash to young people to fix an immediate problem that threatens their housing situation. For example, fixing their car so they can get to work or being able to contribute to utilities and household expenses for a relative who can take them in. The average grant was less than $2,000. 93% of the young people who received a grant were still stably housed a year later. Talk about a return on investment!
Your leadership today truly will change the trajectory of history. When we stop the flow of youth into homelessness, we stop the flow into a lifetime of homelessness. Washington can be a national example. A 40% reduction is a major step, but it’s not enough.
Our Governor and Legislature—YOU— have the largest role to play in the work going forward. Several key programs will need funding in the next biennium and there will be other funding asks to support the young people advising this work around the state. We have the opportunity to try new innovations, such as direct cash transfers–ongoing financial support to build stability–that has been successfully implemented in other communities.
Let’s work together to ensure that we do not squander this significant achievement. Let’s show the country how Washington state is finding safe homes and securing a stable future for its unhoused youth.
We invite you to view this short video from our partner, the Raikes Foundation: Ending Youth Homelessness Is Possible.