For People Experiencing Homelessness
Shelter & Crisis Response
KCHA does not provide emergency housing or shelter for people experiencing homelessness. For homelessness services, please contact the Regional Homelessness Authority or call 211.
Housing Solves Homelessness
Every community has a responsibility to help prevent homelessness and ensure that people experiencing homelessness have a pathway to stability, dignity, and hope.
Learn more about KCHA's homelessness response below, or click here to download and save (PDF).
The King County Housing Authority (KCHA) is a partner in solving the regional crisis of homelessness, through prevention, advocacy, services that create economic opportunities, and, our primary mission, access to high-quality affordable housing.
Overall, KCHA supports nearly 6,300 households that have previously experienced homelessness, including veterans, families, people fleeing domestic violence, and young adults exiting foster care. KCHA administers more than 4,700 federal housing vouchers dedicated to people experiencing homelessness, and we work with partners to ensure that these people have the support services that they need to stay housed and healthy. Our education initiatives also work to prevent homelessness through innovations like the While in School Housing (WISH) program and the Student and Family Stability Initiative. And, we work to ensure that current residents and HCV tenants stay stably housed.
For Homeless Veterans
Working with the United States departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, KCHA administers over 850 Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Housing Choice vouchers for homeless veterans and their families. These vouchers provide permanent housing and case management supports for eligible homeless Veterans and their families. To learn more about these vouchers and other VA and community housing programs, call 877-424-3838. Veterans can also obtain a voucher program referral from a case manager in another VA program, from a community-based program, or locally through King County’s Coordinated Entry system.
In addition to the voucher program, two other agencies also have veteran-specific programs for which you may qualify:
For Homeless Single Adults, Young Adults, Couples & Families
King County’s Coordinated Entry program serves all people experiencing homelessness, connecting them to the housing support services and resources that best meet their needs. Please contact Coordinated Entry if you are:
- Living and sleeping outside.
- Sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation.
- Staying in a shelter or transitional housing.
- Fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence. This means you or your family are afraid to return to your home, or are experiencing dangerous or life threatening conditions at home. This may be related to abuse, stalking, dating violence, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, other physical assault, or human trafficking.
- Leaving a jail, prison, a psychiatric hospital, medical hospital, or a drug/alcohol treatment program where you lived for up to 90 days – and you were in shelter or a place not meant for human habitation immediately prior to entering that institution.
The Coordinated Entry website has more information about what to do next. For other crisis response resources, call 211.