On Monday, Feb. 3, Chief Operations Officer Sunny Wonder and I traveled to Olympia to advocate to end and prevent youth homelessness.

Our goal was to urge the Legislature to sustain funding for the Homelessness Prevention and Diversion Fund (HPDF). This fund serves young people ages 12 to 24 who are experiencing homelessness. The HPDF represents a quick and cost-effective path to stable housing by providing flexible, easily accessible resources for youth facing housing crises.

Joining Together for Washington Youth

On this day of legislative advocacy, we joined community partners committed to ending youth and young adult homelessness throughout Washington. Among them: Center for Youth Services (CYS) Thurston County, Building Changes, YMCA Skagit, Walla Walla, and Clark County Community Service. We were also supported by young advocates from around the state.

Together, we met with representatives to make our case for why Washington cannot afford to cut services for this vulnerable population, as the youth are our future.

Throughout the day, our strategy was to highlight the successes we’ve already achieved in reducing youth homelessness and increasing long-term stability.

More than 90% of the youth who received one-time financial support and coaching remained stably housed a year later.

More than a statistic, this help means young people can begin the next chapter in their lives with the foundation of a stable home.

Sustaining funding for the HPDF is a proven path to keep young people in stable housing.

Research shows that individuals who experience homelessness in their youth are 50% more likely to face it again as adults.

Investing in HPDF has consistently demonstrated its effectiveness. Not only does it house young people faster than traditional services, it is also a more cost-effective model, as shelters are expensive.

In addition to sustaining the HPDF, we asked elected officials to secure funding for Youth Action Boards (YABs). This would ensure dedicated resources to strengthen a coordinated, strategic and fiscally responsible effort to integrate lived experiences into homelessness response efforts.

Currently, our legislators are making decisions about the budget and how to close significant funding gaps in all areas of government, including social services.

We urged representatives to prioritize our youth and young adults. We asked them to show their concern by enacting measures to end and prevent homelessness.

While they could not guarantee these efforts would be included in the state’s budget, we found hope in their willingness to listen, engage and express a desire to protect and invest in Washington’s young people.

An Opportunity to Advocate

As the new Communications Manager for Council for the Homeless (a newly created role on our team), I saw this as a valuable opportunity to observe and learn from our COO, Sunny Wonder. I took note of her messaging, confidence and passion. Sunny is incredibly knowledgeable and deeply committed to CFTH’s mission and vision.

On that day, just two weeks into my tenure, I knew I was in the right place at the right time.

I am grateful for the opportunity to create meaningful change in our community. Together, we can continue our mission to end and prevent homelessness in Clark County.

How can you help? Call your legislators and let them hear directly from you. Your voice matters, too.

Up next: Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day 2025 on March 14!

Join us as we make our way back to Olympia to raise our voices again and continue the mission to end and prevent homelessness in Clark County.

Nneka D. Coxeff,
Council for the Homeless
Communications Manager