What happens when young people create their own housing solutions in a crisis? How can flexible funds help young people find a path to stability? Do diversion services—approaches that help people quickly resolve a housing crisis—lead to better housing outcomes than traditional housing programs? These are all questions that the Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project (YDIP) has demonstrated through its three-year lifespan. The program not only prevents homelessness, it keeps young people stably housed.
Our latest YDIP report highlights YDIP’s impact in preventing youth homelessness and supporting housing stability through flexible funding, rapid response, and community-based strategies. The findings show that YDIP is not only effective, but also cost-efficient and responsive to the realities young people face when exiting systems of care.
What Our Latest Report Shows
From February 2023 to August 2025, YDIP served 693 households across six Washington counties. In total, YDIP distributed more than $1.8 million in flexible funding, with 396 individuals certified to access these funds from 97 organizations. The households served represented a range of lived experiences, with 39% identifying as BIPOC, 12% identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ+), and 39% being students. Additionally, 53% of households were at imminent risk of losing stable housing and 42% were experiencing homelessness in some way prior to YDIP. These findings underscore YDIP’s role as a prevention strategy that can divert young people away from the homelessness response system and remove barriers to stable housing.
The report also shows that diversion is a more cost-effective approach to securing housing for young people than more traditional housing services. The average cost per household through YDIP was $1,872—significantly lower than the cost of emergency shelters at $9,556, transitional housing at $20,548, and rapid re-housing at $21,969. Just as importantly, 83% of households remained stably housed after being served by YDIP—higher than rapid re-housing at 81%, transitional housing at 58%, and emergency shelters at 16%. Taken together, these findings show that YDIP delivers a strong return on investment while helping more young people stay housed.
The real success of YDIP comes from the stories behind the data. In one example, YDIP supported a mother in securing housing for herself and her two children while she entered a 30-day inpatient treatment program. With that stability, she successfully completed treatment, found employment, and recently celebrated five months of sobriety—allowing her children to remain safely housed in the community they have lived in their whole lives instead of entering state care. This is one of many stories that reflect the long-term impact that YDIP can have for young people and families.
Why YDIP Matters
YDIP is a critical resource in Washington State that helps young people exiting the child welfare system, criminal justice, behavioral health facilities, and other systems of care find and maintain stable housing. YDIP responds to our state’s commitment, through House Bill 1905, to ensure that youth exiting publicly funded systems of care don’t fall into homelessness.
At its core, YDIP challenges the status quo by creating a “no wrong door” approach for young people seeking support. Funded by the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Office of Homeless Youth (OHY) and private contributions from the Raikes Foundation and the Schultz Family Foundation, YDIP launched in January 2023 and currently operates across six Washington counties: Pierce, Clark, Yakima, Walla Walla, Spokane, and King.
Providers in these communities, regardless of sector, are trained to have diversion conversations and provide access funds on behalf of clients through a local Fiscal Administrator. Pairing creative diversion conversations with a flexible funding source allows providers to divert clients from the homelessness system or prevent homelessness altogether.
A Proven Path to Stability
YDIP’s work across Washington State shows that flexible funding and a community-centered approach can effectively prevent youth homelessness and support long-term housing stability. Through the collaboration between Building Changes, OHY, Fiscal Administrators, and local providers, there is now a program serving young people that is both cost-effective and equitable.
As the state continues to look for sustainable solutions to end homelessness for youth exiting systems of care, YDIP offers a compelling framework that demonstrates the effectiveness of youth-centered, low-barrier support. Continued investment and expansion of YDIP can help transform lives and strengthen Washington’s homelessness response system.
Read our full report here.
