Program Area
U.S. Program: Pacific Northwest

Our Goal
Triple the Puget Sound region’s supply of service-enriched housing, an innovative approach to homelessness that combines affordable housing and social services, to help homeless families move toward self-sufficiency and decrease their chances of returning to homelessness.

Our Progress in Brief
Sound Families has served nearly 1,500 families and 2,700 children, and the majority of families that participated in a Sound Families program have been able to obtain permanent housing and make other life improvements.

While these results are encouraging, we are studying ways in which graduating families remain vulnerable. For example, program graduates increase their incomes, but most still don’t make a wage that allows them to support a family. In addition, most families continue to need rental subsidies, and those that lose this assistance are at risk of returning to homelessness.

Next: The Challenge

Information in this case study is accurate as of June 2007