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Everyone needs a stable foundation to thrive.

We advance equitable strategies to support people experiencing homelessness and housing instability in Washington State.

Our Work

What We Mean by “Housing Crisis”

People experience homelessness and housing instability in different ways, and systems categorize and define homelessness and housing instability in different ways. We use the term “housing crisis” or “housing crises” to center the human experience of the housing and homeless crisis in Washington State and to call attention to the urgency of the issue.

What We Do

We use an interdisciplinary approach to advocate for change at the systems level. Working with a wide array of partners, including service and housing providers, policymakers, advocates, and community members, we:

  • Advance innovative, equitable strategies that help people resolve their housing crises
  • Influence policy and advocate for adequate and sustainable resources to address the homeless crisis in Washington State
  • Hold those systems accountable to advance and adopt racially equitable and culturally responsive policies, practices, and processes
  • Facilitate cross-systems collaboration to improve coordinated service delivery

Why We Do It

Children, youth, and families—especially those of color—who are impacted by housing crises are inadequately served by the systems that offer homeless services and housing assistance. This is a result of the homeless and housing systems being insufficiently resourced, compounded by racial and ethnic biases embedded within policies, practices, and processes that determine who gets access to services and whether those interventions are successful.

Did you know?

  • Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and individuals of multiple races experience homelessness at higher rates than white individuals.1 
  • At least 13,000 young people in Washington State are without a safe and stable place to call home. 2
  • In our state, 37% of those identified as experiencing homelessness or housing instability in 2018 were in households with at least one adult and one minor.3

1 Washington State Department of Health, 2018 Washington State Health Assessment, Homelessness & Inadequate Housing

2 Washington State Department of Commerce, Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection, 2018 Progress Report

3 Washington State Department of Commerce, July 2018 Snapshot of Homelessness in WA

Washington Youth & Families Fund

Our statewide grantmaking through this fund enables us to identify and advance strategies to help underserved communities move out of homelessness and into stable housing.

Featured Resources

  • Brief

Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project (YDIP) Brief

The Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project (YDIP) is a joint project of Building Changes and A...

  • Housing Crisis
  • Diversion
  • Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
  • Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project
  • Youth/Young Adults

Publish Date: March 22, 2024
  • Report

Yakima County Maternal-Child Health Diversion Project Evaluation

Good health and stable housing are the foundation for thriving communities. That is why we...

  • Health
  • Housing Crisis
  • Diversion
  • Families
  • Maternal Health

Publish Date: June 26, 2023
  • Brief

Key Learnings from the Equitable Homeless System Design Project

Building off our learnings from the 10-year Family Homelessness Initiative and with additional funding from...

  • Housing Crisis
  • Families
  • Family Homelessness Initiative
  • Racial Equity

Publish Date: February 28, 2023
  • Report

Washington State Diversion Study: A Study of Diversion Services for Families

Diversion is an approach that homeless response systems can use to help people quickly resolve...

  • Housing Crisis
  • Diversion
  • Families

Publish Date: December 5, 2022
  • Article

Q & A: Why healing services are necessary for homeless/housing support

Washington’s families who are experiencing homelessness need more than housing alone to successfully exit homelessness...

  • Health
  • Housing Crisis
  • Families
  • Racial Equity
  • Washington Youth & Families Fund

Publish Date: April 26, 2022
  • Brief

Lessons in Family Homelessness: Racial Equity

Racial equity is a value and practice that should permeate every aspect of homeless services,...

  • Housing Crisis
  • Families
  • Family Homelessness Initiative
  • Racial Equity

Publish Date: February 2, 2021

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