from shelter to strategy: our young leaders are transforming how we solve homelessness

When systems are built to solve a problem, the people closest to the pain are rarely invited to draw the blueprints. For a long time, regional decisions about homelessness were made by adults in offices who had never spent a night in a shelter.

That dynamic shifted when six incredible young people who have stayed at our Willows Services Center stepped up to change the room itself. Four shelter guests and two recent graduates who are now permanently housed traveled to the headquarters of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority to run for its newly relaunched Youth Advisory Board.

This systems-level board was designed to put young people exactly where they belong: at the decision-making table, directly informing the authority about the real, day-to-day needs of young adults navigating homelessness in our region.

The energy inside the headquarters was palpable as our young people arrived. They had the chance to meet with the agency’s Chief Program Officer, connect with passionate young advocates from across the county, and share their own perspectives. For many, the mission of the board is deeply personal. One of our Willows participants shared a poignant reflection during the session, noting that he does not have any connections to his biological family. For him, the vision for this board goes beyond policy—he is fighting to build the kind of familial support networks that every young person deserves.

When the votes were tallied for the eight elected seats on the advisory board, five went to young people connected to Friends of Youth. This marks the first time our participants have held these seats, expanding regional representation beyond Seattle and ensuring that the young people accessing our services are the ones driving the conversation.

They did not waste any time getting to work. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is currently determining federal funding through the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, an initiative designed to reduce youth homelessness. The advisory board was tasked with reviewing submissions and determining grant priorities. Our young leaders reviewed the proposals and advanced six projects that will help expand critical services and housing opportunities for young people across King County. 

We await the final federal funding decisions from Washington, D.C., but the real victory is already here. Our young people are proving that decisions about youth and young adult homelessness must be driven by the people who know it best. By bringing their brilliance and lived expertise to the forefront of county-wide strategy, they are ensuring that future systems are built with empathy, insight, and real-world understanding.