Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project
For young people in crisis, there should be no wrong door to help.
At its heart, the Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project (YDIP) is built on this simple but powerful idea. Too often, these youth and young adults have no one to turn to and face steep barriers to housing, work, and wellness. YDIP changes that by meeting them where they are, connecting them to trusted providers, and offering quick, flexible financial support that can cover urgent needs—from move-in costs to transportation repairs—so they can secure safe housing and take the next steps toward their goals.
Examples of what flex funds can be used for:
Improving lives
In just its first year, YDIP has already made a deep impact, helping 218 households across five counties. Behind those numbers are stories of transformation: a young person leaving detention who found an apartment and new independence; a parent who regained custody of their child after finally affording a home; a worker who could keep their job and maintain sobriety because car repairs kept them on the road.
Read more about YDIP’s first-year impact here
By centering young people’s voices and investing in solutions shaped by their needs, YDIP is not only changing individual lives, it’s reshaping systems to prevent homelessness and prepare young people for a brighter future.
YDIP is an ongoing Building Changes project, funded by the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Office of Homeless Youth (OHY) and through private funding from the Raikes Foundation and the Schultz Family Foundation.