Nonprofit that operates group homes for homeless youth plans Tacoma expansion

Yahoo

a day ago

A Gig Harbor-based nonprofit is buying houses to provide a place for unhoused young people to get back on their feet. While their model has shown some success at a small scale, the organization is expanding with a new home in Tacoma.
In 2018, Harbor Hope Center received its home through a private, anonymous donor.
The center's executive director Daniel Johnson told The News Tribune the home was donated after the owner's book club read a book about alleviating poverty. The book club learned in 2018 roughly 150 students in Gig Harbor were couch surfing without a permanent place to live.
At the time, Harbor Hope Center was a new organization aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness among youth and young adults. With the first home, its model was realized.
Johnson told The News Tribune there is a 'thin line' between being housed and homeless, especially for youth and young adults.
'Homelessness starts somewhere early,' he said. 'And it can happen to any young person that doesn't have family support.'
Harbor Hope's goal is to provide that support.
Shortly after getting the first home, the organization acquired a second home in the same neighborhood with funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce's Housing Trust Fund. The second home was acquired for about $265,000.
The two houses now serve as group homes for up to 12 people between the ages of 18 and 24. While staying at the home, they receive mentorship, life-skills coaching and therapy with the goal of finding permanent housing and self-sustainability.
Brandon Vuylsteke, the operations manager for the homes, said residents receive one-on-one case management from staff customized to the client. They participate in career- and life-skills workshops and substance-abuse therapy if necessary. Harbor Hope also offers transportation to get clients to school, work or appointments.
Johnson said it is through early intervention that the organization aims to prevent young people from entering a cycle of chronic homelessness.
'We get someone living on a couch to never be on a couch again,' he said.
According to Harbor Hope Center, its program has served 135 young people and has helped 95 into permanent supportive housing. Those who are not referred into permanent supportive housing often are reunited with family or referred into other programs.
Johnson said people usually stay at the group homes between three and five months before finding a more permanent housing solution.
Vuylsteke said young people usually stay an average of 90 days. According to him, the broad majority of people exit the group homes after receiving a referral into Pierce County's Rapid-Rehousing program.
'People are here because they are trying,' Johnson said.
Vuylsteke told The News Tribune the organization is looking to expand both its connections with community organizations who can refer Harbor Hope Center new clients.
Recently, it has been working with Coffee Oasis, a homeless youth-assisting nonprofit with locations in Tacoma, Port Orchard and Bremerton.
They also work with local school districts such as the Peninsula School District and Tacoma Public Schools. Tacoma Public Schools is recognized to have one of the highest populations of housing insecure students in the state.
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law to protect students experiencing housing instability, and it ensures that homeless children and youth have access to a public education. The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as 'individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.'
According to Tacoma Public Schools spokesperson Kathryn McCarthy, the district served 2,685 students through McKinney-Vento programming during the 2023-2024 school year. Of those, 414 were considered 'unaccompanied youth.'
McCarthy told The News Tribune the district recorded 2,389 students who were experiencing homelessness or considered 'unaccompanied youth' during the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, she said there are 202 students in foster care.
Johnson said Harbor Hope Center is beginning its expansion into Tacoma and is close to closing a deal on a house in the city which will serve as another six-person group home.
Johnson said the organization has received generous community support towards its existing group homes, with an estimated $50,000 to $60,000 in contributions. He told The News Tribune a local church volunteered to repair and paint a backyard fence and local Home Depot stores contributed materials and labor to completely rebuild the deck at one of the houses.
'Our goal is to have the nicest house in the neighborhood,' he said.