Shared from the DCHS Touching Base Newsletter 

Executive Constantine announces the launch of the Youth and Family Homelessness Prevention Initiative.

The first strategy funded by Best Starts for Kids, the Youth and Family Homelessness Prevention Initiative (YFHPI), was formally launched at a news event on Dec. 15 at Mother Africa in Kent, one of the 27 agencies selected through a competitive process to administer $4 million in funds in the community. The new initiative is designed to help families on the verge of being homeless. The individualized approach is based on a highly successful pilot project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Agencies receiving the funds are now receiving training to prepare for providing the case management services for youth and families at highest risk of homelessness.

At the same event, Executive Dow Constantine announced $41 million in funding to create affordable housing and provide services to help people succeed once they have a place to live. The package includes $14.2 million to build 549 units of affordable housing located near major transit centers throughout King County, made possible through the county’s new Transit Oriented Development bonds. The housing announcement also included $12.1 million to build 279 affordable housing units in Renton, Bellevue, Seattle, Auburn and Tukwila, including housing set aside for homeless veterans and their families, people with mental illness and people with developmental disabilities. A total of $10.2 million will provide supportive services that help people succeed in their housing, including behavioral health and other services. The announcement also included new and renewed funding for homeless shelter, transitional housing and rapid rehousing. Council Chair Joe McDermott and County Councilmembers Larry Gossett and Dave Upthegrove also attended and spoke at the event. Many members of the community, including other recipients of the homeless housing funding also attended. Kudos to Kim Dodds, lead for the YFHPI and to Mark Ellerbrook and his team in Housing Finance and Homelessness Services for their great work in conducting successful competitive processes for the housing rounds. Read more in the official press release and the Seattle Times story.

To learn more about what DCHS is doing in our community, read the most recent issue of the Touching Base Newsletter(on SharePoint).