Office of Homeless Youth (OHY)

Every night, thousands of homeless youth in Washington go to sleep without the safety, stability, and support of a family or home. The Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection Programs (OHY) leads statewide efforts to reduce and prevent homelessness for youth (ages 12-17) and young adults (ages 18-24) by partnering with community programs to establish ongoing and future funding, policy, and best practices.

Advocacy efforts led by young people helped passed the Homeless Youth Act in 2015 to create OHY and establish its five priority service areas:

• Stable Housing: Every youth has a safe and healthy place to sleep.
• Family Reconciliation: Families are reunited when safe and appropriate.
• Permanent Connections: Youth have opportunities to establish positive, healthy relationships with adults.
• Education and Employment: Youth have opportunities to advance their education or training and obtain employment.
• Social and Emotional Well-Being: Youth have access to behavioral and physical health care; services nurture each youth’s strengths and abilities.

Vision 

Every family and youth in Washington State has the individualized support they need so that no young person has to spend a single night without a safe and stable home. Every community has services that are equitable, accessible, effective, responsive, and coordinated.  

Youth of color, those who identify as LGBTQ2+, and those with disabilities experience homelessness and housing instability at higher rates than their peers. OHY strives to achieve equity for these youth and places youth at the center of funding, practice, and policy decisions. 

OHY Resources for Youth and Young Adults

Find contact information for OHY-funded programs in your area providing a range of services to young people experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

OHY Program Grants

OHY provides grants to local organizations for a range of services supporting the mission to prevent and reduce youth homelessness. See for more information on OHY-funded programs and how to apply.

OHY Technical Assistance

Information for current OHY grantees including program guidelines, form templates, training opportunities, and other resources for working with youth and young adults.

Youth Homelessness Prevention

OHY leads youth homelessness prevention efforts by collaborating with various partners to coordinate systems and services as a central component to ensuring safe and stable housing.

Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection Advisory Committee

OHY’s work is guided by Homeless Youth Prevention & Protection (HYPP) Advisory Committee recommendations regarding funding, policy, and practice gaps within and among state programs […]

Resources

• OHY data, research and reports (Box)
• Host home program reporting form (Smartsheet)
• OHY Programs Fact Sheet (PDF)
• OHY Prevention Fact Sheet (PDF)
• OHY Engagement and Coordination Fact Sheet (PDF)