Homelessness Prevention & Diversion Fund
No young person should lose their home over a single setback.
The Homelessness Prevention & Diversion Fund (HPDF) was created with one clear purpose: to stop young people from falling into homelessness in the first place. Too many youth and young adults in Washington are just one unexpected bill, one broken-down car, or one overdue rent payment away from losing their housing. Traditional systems often can’t respond quickly enough, but HPDF changes that. By putting flexible funds in the hands of trusted community providers, HPDF helps young people resolve setbacks before they become catastrophic. Instead of forcing youth to fit into rigid program boxes, HPDF meets them where they are, offering practical solutions that reflect their real lives and immediate needs.
Since launching in 2020, HPDF has kept more than 1,700 households across the state safely housed, with the vast majority remaining stable a year later. (footnote) Youth can turn to providers they already know and trust, and those providers have the tools to respond quickly. The impact is most deeply felt in the lives of young people themselves: a parent able to secure a home for their child, a student who can stay in school, or a young adult who avoids the trauma of entering the shelter system.
HPDF shows that when communities are given the flexibility to act with compassion and creativity, we can not only prevent homelessness but also build lasting stability and hope.
HPDF is an ongoing Building Changes project, in partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Office of Homeless Youth (OHY) and in collaboration with regional partners involved in the Communities for Functional Zero (C4F0) movement.