Initiatives
On September 27, 2018, leaders from across the state launched Washington’s new coordinated effort to prevent and end youth homelessness by 2022. Advocates announced a widespread and diverse coalition of nonprofits, elected officials, philanthropy, businesses, and community members who are committed to helping all young people in this state find their way home. Pierce County is one of four initial counties leading the way to end youth homelessness. Other counties engaged in this initial initiative includes Spokane, Yakima, and Walla Walla. This initiative is being led by A Way Home Washington. This initiative supports street outreach and young adult emergency shelter.
Annually the County solicits project applications from nonprofit organizations to support an integrated system of housing assistance that quickly re-houses households who are experiencing homelessness. We identify this as our homeless crisis response system with a goal of ensuring that homelessness is rare, brief, and one-time. Activities funded under this initiative includes street outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing. Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington State Department of Commerce, and local Homeless Document Recording Fee funding.
Landlord Liaison Services includes services from both Housing Connector and Associated Ministries. The Landlord Liaison Services now has two organizations including: Housing Connecter and The Housing Stabilization Center through Associated Ministries.
Housing Connecter acts as a bridge to connect those experiencing homelessness with vacant units in the community and both organizations work together to ensure clients are stably housed.
The goal of Housing Connector is to successfully house individuals and families experiencing homelessness who cannot otherwise access housing due to rental barriers. Property Partners participating with Housing Connector agree to apply Relaxed Screening Criteria to tenant applicants referred for housing through this program. In return, Property Partners receive a variety of incentives including exclusive access to our listing platform on Zillow, free referrals to fill vacancies, risk mitigation services, rent guarantees, vacancy loss incentives, and incident response support.
Housing Connector acts as the single point of contact for both Property Partners and Community Service Providers to support tenants if challenges arise during the first two years of tenancy.
Become a Property Partner
Are you a Property Owner or Manager? Join Housing Connector
Community Service Providers
Housing Connector partners with Community Service Providers that are actively working with clients experiencing homelessness and give access to our unique platform designed by Zillow to help streamline the matching and application process.
Become a Community Partner with Housing Connector
Associated Ministries’ Housing Stabilization Center is the tenancy retention section of these services. Housing Stabilization Center will provide resources such as Rental Assistance, Relocation Services, and Application Fees to help mitigate evictions for clients housed through or program. Individuals and families housed in our program have access to Renter’ Readiness Certification where they learn how to be better neighbors, are prepared for financial success, and have resources to aid them throughout their tenancies. The Housing Stabilization department will ensure housing stability by providing extra supports like mediation, conflict resolution, and case management services in their second year of tenancy
The County has solicited project applications from nonprofit organizations to support activities relating to the operation of a Coordinated Entry site and Rapid Re-Housing program for households with at least one child enrolled in the Tacoma School District who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability and identified as Mc-Kinney-Vento eligible. The goal of this funding is to complement and augment the existing Homeless Crisis Response System by expanding access to the target population.