In the early morning hours of Jan. 29, the One Night Count found 5 percent fewer homeless people in King County than the year before (2,675 people for year 2010, as opposed to 2,827 for year 2009). Of this year's current total, only 17 people under 18 years of age were counted in Seattle, Renton and Federal Way. (Even with these numbers, service providers estimate that, during a year-long stretch, close to 2,000 young people experience homelessness in the county.)
A week later, on Feb. 4, another number was released that focused on homeless youth in the region, though the second number had a dollar sign attached: namely, $7.75 million. That figure equals the amount, in grants, the charitable group Raynier Institute & Foundation will devote toward the housing and shelter of homeless young people.
Raynier Institute & Foundation will offer YouthCare -- which provides a drop-in center, offers emergency, short- and long-term housing, not to mention job training to homeless youth -- two grants totaling $3.6M to help create 15 emergency shelter beds, as well as helping to retire a mortgage. They will also assist ROOTS -- which offers shelter and a free meal to homeless young people between 18 and 25 -- with two grants amounting to $2.05M, to underwrite services and pay for capital improvements. Another $2.1M will go toward the "Catalyst," a pilot program co-created by YouthCare and ROOTS that focuses on homeless youth who are most marginalized; the program is currently underway at the Straley House.