This report documents evaluation findings from the first year of the Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project (YDIP), a pilot project of Building Changes and A Way Home Washington. YDIP aims to serve youth and young adults (YYA) under the age of 25 facing a housing crisis and exiting publicly funded systems of care in different communities throughout Washington State. YDIP combines the Diversion approach and the development of centralized diversion funds to provide YYA clients with access to one-time flexible funding sources to promote housing stability. YDIP is funded through the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Office of Homeless Youth (OHY) appropriated by the Washington State Legislature for House Bill 1905, as well as private funding from the Raikes Foundation and the Schultz Family Foundation.
This evaluation of YDIP was informed by both quantitative and qualitative data that were collected, analyzed, and synthesized. It covers the year following the first YDIP request submission from February 16, 2023 through February 16, 2024 in the five counties selected to pilot the project: Clark, Pierce, Spokane, Walla Walla, and Yakima. Analysis of client demographics, client living situation and exit status from systems of care, and client flex fund spending and request types are included in the report. The evaluation also includes project implementation details and learnings, as well as identification of overall strengths, opportunities for growth, and recommendations to further the impact of YDIP.
