Major Year-End Funding to Expand Housing and Services for Region’s Homeless Families

SEATTLE -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced nearly $6 million in new grants that will significantly expand housing and services for the region’s homeless families, or families at risk of becoming homeless. Nearly $4 million has been funded through the Sound Families Initiative to expand service-enriched housing in the Puget Sound region and $2 million has been granted directly to the Washington Families Fund, a statewide public-private partnership to expand support services for homeless families or families in danger of becoming homeless.

Estimates indicate that in Washington state, up to 26,500 people are without a home on any given night. Families with children are among the fastest growing segment of the homeless population nationwide, and in Washington, nearly half of the people staying at homeless shelters are families with children.

Sound Families
In a new round of grants, Sound Families announced $3,662,500 million to fund 140 new units of housing and services to six grantees in King and Pierce counties.

“Sound Families is helping reduce family homelessness in the Puget Sound. Our grantees work directly with families to address the cause of homelessness by providing affordable housing paired with critical on-site support services, such as child care, parenting classes, and job training,” said Katie Hong, co-chair of Sound Families and interim director of Pacific Northwest giving for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “So far Sound Families grantees have served more than 2,000 children and 1,000 families by providing a safe, stable place to live and the support families need to lead self-sufficient lives.”

Created in 2000 by a $40 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Sound Families initiative has funded more than 1,250 new units of service-enriched housing. The final funding round will be in Spring of 2007.

Initial outcome data collected by the University of Washington’s School of Social Work indicates that the vast majority of families served through the program go on to obtain permanent housing and more stability. Most families (70%) are able to access some type of permanent housing at exit and employment increased from 27% to 49% from entry to exit. As a result of permanent housing for their family, the number of children who attended just one school during a school year nearly doubled to 86 percent.

“We have learned that supportive services tied to housing help families find and maintain a stable place to live, earn better wages, and provide better environments for children,” said Alice Shobe, director of Sound Families. “This approach clearly demonstrates that ending family homelessness is possible in our region.”

Sound Families partners with the housing authorities from King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, the cities of Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett, and the state of Washington to provide affordable housing linked with support services. The City of Seattle Office of Housing administers the Sound Families Program.

The six new grantees are Downtown Action to Save Housing, Helping Hand House, InterIm Community Development Association, Sea Mar Community Health Center, Seattle Housing Authority, and the YWCA of King and Snohomish Counties.

Washington Families Fund
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced $2 million in year-end funding for the Washington Families Fund (WFF), a unique public-private partnership launched in 2005 to expand the availability of supportive housing for homeless families across Washington state. The grant will help the fund continue to provide assistance to organizations helping move families from homelessness to stable housing and self-sufficiency throughout the state of Washington.

 “On any given night, thousands of people in our state have no place to call home. Nearly half of those are families with children,” said Betsy Lieberman, executive director of AIDS Housing of Washington, which administers the fund. “This new gift, when paired with incredible support from private and public partners, will help our grantees continue to change the lives of thousands of families and children across our state by making long-term, stable housing a reality.”

Created by the State Legislature, the Washington Families Fund is the first in the nation to create a reliable, long-term source of funding for supportive services to homeless children and their families.

The fund has grown to more than $11 million with the latest $2 million grant from the foundation, $6 million from the state legislature, and other private matching funds from thirteen corporations, foundations, and individuals throughout Washington state and Oregon.
 
The fund has awarded $4.1 million in 10-year grants to a total of 15 innovative housing partnerships, expanding services for 174 supportive housing units. The fund has committed to agencies and partnerships in 11 counties, where programs will serve 1,000 to 1,600 families over 10 years. The fund is expected to double its grant award payout during the next three years.

While work in the state is having a positive impact on family homelessness, the need to serve homeless families and those on the verge of homelessness remains great. In January, WFF will announce its next round of available funding for service-enriched housing for homeless families throughout the state of Washington.