Homeless Housing Program
Housing, Homelessness and Community Development Division
In need of housing or shelter?
King County’s Coordinated Entry for All (CEA) provides referrals to housing and shelter for families experiencing homelessness.
To reach CEA, call 2-1-1 to connect to resources. For more info, visit Coordinated Entry for All. The Homelessness Housing Program page is intended to give background information only—it is not a service page.
The Homeless Housing Program (HHP) facilitates human services to support housing stability and individual safety. HHP administers and oversees funding for housing stability and services programs.
We fund community-based and governmental agencies that provide housing and services to people in King County who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Working together with public and private funders in our region, and with All Home, we strive to make homelessness rare in our community, and should homelessness occur, that it is brief and one-time.
For More Information
Additional Resources
Homeless and looking for housing?
Connect with a regional access point.
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For Providers:
Our bodies of work:
Emergency Housing
King County Homeless and Housing Program funds organizations that provide emergency shelter, transitional housing, and rapid rehousing through a competitive funding processes.
Emergency Shelter
Emergency shelter is temporary housing for homeless individuals living outside or in places not meant for human habitation. In general, emergency shelters address the basic health, food, clothing and personal hygiene needs of the households and refer them to supportive services and permanent housing. Emergency shelters are indoors and may range from mats on the floor in a common space to beds in individual units.
Transitional Housing
Transitional housing is short-term or temporary housing for families needing intensive or deeper levels of support services to attain permanent housing. Length of stay in transitional housing is flexible and tailored to the unique needs of each household. Transitional housing comes in a variety of facility-types, ranging from congregate- style living to scattered site apartments.
Rapid Rehousing
Rapid rehousing is designed to help households to quickly exit homelessness and return to permanent housing. Core components of rapid rehousing include housing identification, rent and move-in assistance, and case management services. Rapid rehousing assistance is offered without preconditions and services are tailored to the unique needs of the household.
Homeless Prevention
Preventing households from losing their housing is an important strategy for ending homelessness. The King County Housing Stability Program helps individuals and families who are at risk of becoming homeless. The program provides time-limited rental and mortgage assistance, and referrals to additional stabilization services to eligible households experiencing a short-term emergency that has placed them at risk of homelessness. The Housing Stability Program is operated by Solid Ground in collaboration with other non-profit service providers throughout King County.
Low and moderate income households located in King County who are at risk of losing their housing may call 211 to find out if they qualify. Please be aware that eligibility for the program does not guarantee that financial assistance will be awarded.
Learn more about Homeless Prevention
Permanent Housing (PSH)
King County Homeless and Housing Program funds organizations that provide permanent supportive housing and permanent housing with supports through competitive funding processes.
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
Permanent supportive housing is permanent housing for a household that is homeless on entry, where the individual or a household member has a condition of disability, such as mental illness, substance abuse, chronic health issues, or other conditions that create multiple and serious ongoing barriers to housing stability.
Households have a long-term high level of service needs in order to meet the obligations of tenancy and maintain their housing. Tenants have access to flexible array of comprehensive services which are available and encouraged, but are not to be required a s a condition of tenancy. Permanent supportive housing projects may be facility-based or scattered-site.
Permanent Housing with Support Services
Permanent housing with supports is permanent housing for homeless households with a high to medium level of service needs. Services are needed in order for the homeless household to maintain housing stability. Services are individualized and targeted based on the housing stability plan. Programs and services may be available on or off-site and the tenant holds a rental agreement.
Special Projects
The Human Services Bus Ticket Program provides subsidized bus tickets to eligible human service agencies serving persons who are homeless and/or low income.
Starting in March 2020, households across our region and across the country will have the opportunity to participate in the 2020 Census. Your participation matters. Learn how you can promote a fair and accurate census at kingcounty.gov/census.