The Homelessness Prevention and Diversion Fund (HPDF) has become a critical resource for preventing and ending youth homelessness in Washington State. Its flexibility, responsiveness, and cost-efficiency allow communities to provide low-barrier, youth-centered solutions tailored to each young person’s needs.
Launched in 2020, HPDF was the first Centralized Diversion Fund in the nation specifically for youth and young adults. Today, it reaches 10 counties across Washington, providing flexible funding that helps young people find and maintain stable housing. The model has also helped inform similar approaches across the country.
Our latest evaluation looks at HPDF’s impact from August 2020 through December 2025 and demonstrates what is possible when young people are empowered to identify their own housing solutions and have access to flexible funding to make those solutions possible.
The Data Speaks for Itself
From August 2020 to December 2025, HPDF served 2,713 households across 10 counties in Washington. The young people served represent a range of identities and experiences: 53% identified as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), 18% as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer (LGBQ+), 26% as pregnant or parenting, and 29% as students.
HPDF also reaches young people in a range of housing situations. Before receiving support, nearly half of households were at imminent risk of losing their stable housing, while 47% were already experiencing homelessness. Among those experiencing homelessness, 28% were couch surfing or doubled up in an unsafe or unstable situation, a population that can often be overlooked by traditional homelessness services.
Another strength of HPDF is both its cost-efficiency and its ability to help young people remain housed over time. Funds are typically distributed within 72 hours, allowing communities to respond quickly when a young person faces a housing crisis. The average cost per household was $1,683, significantly less than traditional housing interventions such as emergency shelter ($8,972), transitional housing ($25,106), and rapid re-housing ($25,200). The evaluation also found relatively low returns to homelessness: 3% within three months, 11% within one year, and 18% within two years.
My favorite part of evaluating HPDF is hearing directly from the young people who received funding and the providers who work with them. We heard about young people using HPDF to stay sober and employed, make the transition to college, and create more stability for their families. Providers also talked about how important it is that HPDF has few barriers, requires minimal paperwork, and gives young people flexibility to find housing solutions that work for them.
A Program Worth Investing In
HPDF works because of collaboration among Building Changes, the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Office of Homeless Youth (OHY), Fiscal Administrators, local providers, and private funders. Together, these partners have helped HPDF support thousands of young people in finding housing solutions that work for them.
This framework has been so successful that the model is now being brought to Seattle and King County, with funding from the City of Seattle, championed by Seattle City Councilmember Dionne Foster, and the Washington Acceleration Fund. United Way of King County will serve as the Fiscal Administrator, with Building Changes providing support and consultation on implementation.
The results in this report show why HPDF is worth continuing to invest in. It gives communities a fast, flexible, and cost-effective way to help young people address a housing crisis before it gets worse. With another challenging state budget ahead, Building Changes will continue advocating for sustained funding so communities can keep this resource available to young people who need it.
Read the full report to learn more about HPDF’s impact and what we’ve learned over the past five years.
