Arlington Drive Youth Campus and Young Adult Housing Program report — Per 2021-2023 operating budget (ESSB 5092 Sec. 26)
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Summary
A report to the Legislature on the Arlington Drive Youth Campus and Young Adult Housing Program, dated June 30, 2022 and submitted by the Washington State Department of Commerce through its Office of Homeless Youth. It states that it satisfies a reporting requirement in the 2021-2023 biennial operating budget, which provided $2,125,000 of general fund-state for fiscal year 2022 and $2,125,000 for fiscal year 2023, a total of $4.25 million, for youth services and young adult housing on a campus in Tacoma. The report says $677,320.70 of the fiscal year 2022 appropriation was spent over nine months, that 185 youth and young adults were served, and that the campus has a 91% rate of discharge to stable housing and an average HOPE Center stay of 15 days. It describes a 12-bed CRC/HOPE Center for ages 12-17 and a 58-unit Young Adult Housing Program for ages 18-24.
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“Arlington Drive Youth Campus and Young Adult Housing Program report — Per 2021-2023 operating budget (ESSB 5092 Sec. 26).”
Original at app.leg.wa.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2022-commercereports-2022-cshd-ohy-arlington-campus-annual-report-final-9-3/
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Arlington Drive Youth
Campus and Young Adult
Housing Program report
Per 2021-2023 operating budget (ESSB 5092 Sec. 26)
June 30, 2022
COMMUNITY SERVICES AND
HOUSING DIVISION Report to the Legislature
Director Lisa Brown
V3.0
Acknowledgments
Washington State Department of Commerce
Kim Justice
Executive Director
Office of Homeless Youth
Community Services and Housing Division
Kim.Justice@commerce.wa.gov
360-810-0322
Washington State Department of Commerce
Chanita Jackson
Deputy Director
Chanita.Jackson@commerce.wa.gov
360-522-0345
OFFICE OF HOMELESS YOUTH
1011 Plum St. SE
P.O. Box 42525
Olympia, WA 98504-2525
www.commerce.wa.gov
For people with disabilities, this report is available on
request in other formats. To submit a request, please call
360-725-4000 (TTY 360-586-0772)
ARLINGTON YOUTH CAMPUS AND YOUNG ADULT HOUSING PROGRAM REPORT
Table of contents
Executive summary...................................................................................................................................... 2
Background ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Program expenditures and results................................................................................................................ 5
Recommendations ....................................................................................................................................... 9
ARLINGTON YOUTH CAMPUS AND YOUNG ADULT HOUSING PROGRAM REPORT 1
Executive summary
Overview
The Legislature directed $4.25 million in state general funds in the 2021-23 biennium to provide youth services
and young adult housing in Tacoma. Commerce awarded the contract to the Arlington Drive Youth Campus,
operated by the Tacoma Housing Authority and Community Youth Services. This report is submitted to satisfy
the reporting requirements in section 129, subsection 26 of the 2021-2023 biennial operating budget:
(26) $2,125,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for fiscal year 2022 and $2,125,000 of the general fund—
state—appropriation for fiscal year 2023 are provided solely for the office of homeless youth to contract with one or
more nonprofit organizations to provide youth services and young adult housing on a multi-acre youth campus
located in the city of Tacoma. Youth services include, but are not limited to, HOPE beds and crisis residential centers
to provide temporary shelter and permanency planning for youth under the age of 18. Young adult housing includes,
but is not limited to, rental assistance and case management for young adults ages 18 to 24.
The department shall submit an annual report to the legislature on the use of the funds. The first report is due June
30, 2022, and each June 30th thereafter. The report shall include but is not limited to:
(a) A breakdown of expenditures by program and expense type, including the cost per bed;
(b) The number of youth and young adults helped by each program;
(c) The number of youth and young adults on the waiting list for programs, if any; and
(d) Any other metric or measure the department deems appropriate to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of the
funds.
Program highlights
Expenditures
The reporting timeframe does not allow for a full biennial report. Therefore, data will be limited to nine months
to meet the June 30, 2022 report due date:
Spent $677,320.70 of the state fiscal year 2022 appropriation
Served 185 youth and young adults
Youth and young adults served
The Tacoma Housing Authority's Arlington Drive Youth Campus has a 91% success rate in discharging youth to
stable housing. The average stay in the HOPE Center is 15 days. Since opening, the Arlington Drive Youth
Campus has:
Housed 71 young adults (ages 18-24) in apartments
Diverted 114 youth (ages 12-17) from homelessness
Recommendations
Maintain the state general funds in the 2023-25 biennium: The Office of Homeless Youth recommends
that the Legislature continue funding this program at $4.25 million per biennium to maintain the current
level of support services.
Make funding expenditure flexible through dedicated account deposit: Funding this project through
Fund 10B - Home Security Account would allow any unspent dollars contracted for this project to remain
available for the entirety of the biennium.
ARLINGTON YOUTH CAMPUS AND YOUNG ADULT HOUSING PROGRAM REPORT 2
Background
Homelessness context in Pierce County
Pierce County Human Services reported 1,897 individuals as sheltered homeless (those sleeping in emergency
shelters or transitional housing) or unsheltered (those sleeping outside or living in places not meant for human
habitation) during its annual Point in Time Count:
372 of the 1,897 individuals were youth and young adults
226 youth ages 13-17
146 young adults ages 18-24
Hundreds of Pierce County youth and young adults are homeless without family or guardians. 1 Many leave
Pierce County because they are unable to secure stable housing locally. Additionally, many young people leave
their home communities in counties outside Pierce seeking supportive services and housing. Arlington is part
of the regional solution to ending youth and young adult homelessness. Youth who are homeless or unstably
housed face increased risks of violence, drug abuse and sex trafficking.
Background on the Arlington Drive Youth Campus
Project overview
The Arlington Drive Youth Campus is a nationally unique partnership between the Tacoma Housing Authority
(THA) and two of the nation's premier social services providers to homeless young people. It operates two
programs:
1. Community Youth Services operates a 12-bed CRC/HOPE Center facility for homeless youth ages 12-17,
providing temporary shelter, permanency planning and family reconciliation when safe and appropriate.
2. The YMCA's Y Social Impact Center (YSIC) operates a 58-unit Young Adult Housing Program (YAHP) that
provides housing support services to young adults ages 18-24.
The CRC/HOPE Center facility opened in June 2020 and the Young Adult Housing Program (YAHP) young adult
apartments opened in October 2020. The project started under budget and three months ahead of schedule.
The Arlington Drive Youth Campus is the largest housing model for youth and young adults in Pierce County
and a regional asset serving young people in crisis throughout the Puget Sound area.
Project funding
Capital funding
The THA acts as the landlord in this project. THA acquired $25 million for construction costs:
The state Legislature invested $5 million from the capital budget
The City of Tacoma contributed $2.8 million
Pierce County contributed $670,000
1 Tacoma Housing Authority, "Arlington Drive Campus for Homeless Youth and Young Adults," (July 22, 2019),
https://www.tacomahousing.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/arlington_campus_brochure_7.22.2018.pdf
ARLINGTON YOUTH CAMPUS AND YOUNG ADULT HOUSING PROGRAM REPORT 3
The remaining $16,530,000 came from private sources, tax credit investors, commercial debt and the THA
Funding for services
The state Legislature provided $4.25 million in ongoing state general fund in the 2021-23 biennial operating
budget to the Department of Commerce, Office of Homeless Youth, for youth services and young adult housing
on a multi-acre youth campus. The first ongoing investment was made during the 2019-21 biennium at $1.25
million, and an additional ongoing investment of $3 million was made during the 2021-23 biennium, totaling
$4.25 million.
The Tacoma Housing Authority also subsidizes the rent on the apartments, at a cost of $1,040,112 to date.
This subsidy ensures that young people never have to pay more than 30% of their income toward rent, often
meaning they pay as little as $75 per month. Young people who leave Arlington in good standing (that is, are
not evicted) also leave with a housing voucher to use on the private rental market. This allows the young adult
residents who do not need intensive supportive services to leave, opening up the apartment for another young
person who may have a higher level of need, and ensures the former resident can afford rent after Arlington.
COVID-19 challenges
COVID-19 affected this project in four primary areas:
1. The governor's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order suspended almost all in-person learning. 2 The suspension
of in-person instruction caused a gap in some serviced youth's school engagement.
2. The COVID-19 length of stay waivers extended youth stays in Crisis Residential Centers past the maximum
stay of 45 days. As a result, some youth could remain in the facility for an extended time. This waiver
benefitted youth and the community but limited the number of youth the program could serve.
3. High staff turnover has been an ongoing challenge to service delivery for this and many other projects.
4. The Crisis Residential Center also had to close several times throughout the pandemic due to COVID-19
exposure among residents and/or staff. This also limited the number of youth served.
CRC/HOPE Center
Challenges around the "stay at home" order and school closures during COVID caused a gap in some youths'
schooling. Due to many youths' need for social engagement, online courses gave some young people a sense
of hopelessness. As a result, they struggled to stay on schedule with assignments and fell behind in
schoolwork. Community Youth Services (CYS) increased engagement efforts and focused on encouragement
around schoolwork and activities. CYS advocated on the student's behalf, speaking with teachers and school
counselors and developing education plans to support and meet the youth's educational needs.
Despite the many challenges that have come with COVID, CYS continues to discharge youth to safe and stable
housing at an 88% success rate.
2 Washington Governor Jay Inslee, "Inslee announces 'Stay Home, Stay Healthy' order," (March 23, 2020),
https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-announces-stay-home-stay-
healthy%C2%A0order#:~:text=This%20Stay%20Home%2C%20Stay%20Healthy,to%20pursue%20an%20essential%20activity
ARLINGTON YOUTH CAMPUS AND YOUNG ADULT HOUSING PROGRAM REPORT 4
Young Adult Housing Program
The Young Adult Housing Program (YAHP) had to make significant adjustments in how services were rendered
with COVID-19. During the project's first contractual period (July 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2021), the project
leased and occupied 42 of the 58 units, anticipating full capacity by the end of February 2021. However, hiring
has been an ongoing struggle for the YAHP due to COVID-19 and ongoing hiring and retention issues prevalent
throughout the industry. Over the last year, the project has operated short-staffed, including the executive
director stepping down from their post in October 2021. The program has been operating at 100% capacity
effective February 2022 and currently has a waiting list of 41 young adults awaiting housing. The waitlist is
intentionally kept at 40-50 young people to ensure they are not waiting too long for housing and are not given
false hope that housing is imminently available at Arlington.
Approximately 30% of the young adult residents are also parenting babies or toddlers. Not only is Arlington
housing young adults, but an additional generation of 27 children who would otherwise be homeless. The
YMCA works hard with young people to bring in additional family planning and parenting resources, ensuring
they have the support and are making resourced and informed decisions about what is in the best interest of
their family.
Program expenditures and results
Timeframe
This is the first annual report for the Arlington Drive Youth Campus. The reporting timeframe does not allow for
a full year's worth of data. Therefore, data will be limited to nine months to meet the June 30, 2022, annual
report due date. Funding for this project was allocated for July 1, 2021, through June 2023. The project is
active. This report presents outcomes for dates of service from July 1, 2021, through March 30, 2022.
Funding
The Legislature provided $1.25 million from the 2019-21 biennial operating budget. From Jan. 1, 2020, to June
30, 2021, the program spent $1,238,669.71. To support allocated program spending, the Legislature allowed
Commerce to adjust the program budget from $625,000 in fiscal year 2020 and $625,000 in fiscal year 2021 to
$91,246 in fiscal year 2020 and $1,158,654 in fiscal year 2021.
The amended budget allowed the program to spend all but $11,330.29. All unspent funds were de-obligated to
close the contract on Aug. 1, 2021. Unspent funds were connected to programmatic adjustments and right
sizing. Examples of adjustments during the 2019-21 biennium include but are not limited to:
Changes in key positions: CYS experienced turnover in its fiscal department. The department's chief
financial officer addressed this by prioritizing recruitment efforts and temporarily handling additional
duties, including program billing and invoicing responsibilities, until a replacement was hired.
Grand opening: The program was a new project, which officially opened in June 2020. Expenditures
made before June 2020 were limited to staff training, utility payments, office supplies and other
programmatic expenses.
The Legislature provided $4.25 million ($2,125,000 in fiscal year 2022, $2,125,000 in fiscal year 2023) from the
2021-2023 biennial operating budget for operating costs to the Commerce's Office of Homeless Youth to
ARLINGTON YOUTH CAMPUS AND YOUNG ADULT HOUSING PROGRAM REPORT 5
provide youth services and young adult housing on a multi-acre youth campus. The project made several
adjustments to right-size funding to respond to the needs of the youth and young adults:
The original contract budget was revised to include $120,559 ($60,279.50 in fiscal year 2022, $60,279.50
in fiscal year 2023) for Tacoma Housing Authority's administration cost as a lead grantee for this project.
CYS budget will remain $894,441 ($447,220.50 in fiscal year 2022, $447,220 in fiscal year 2023). The
project has increased its outreach efforts to provide additional support services and to meet the needs
of youth at risk of homelessness.
YMCA's budget is $3,142,968 for the biennium ($1,571,484 in fiscal year 2022, $1,571,484 in fiscal year
2023). The program is expanding LifeSet support services to include young people on the waitlist and/or
have expressed interest in enrolling in the Arlington program.
Commerce approved additional expenses for rental assistance for young people in securing
employment. Many young people need this support, and the project is reviewing reimbursing
employment-centered requests.
Additionally, the program identified that items such as furniture, mattresses, dishware, silverware and
bedding were needed for youth and young adults transitioning from homelessness to stable housing.
The program adjusted its budget to address these needs.
Expenditure and results data
The reporting timeframe does not allow for a full biennial report. Therefore, the data presented below are
limited to July 1, 2021, through March 30, 2022, to meet the June 30, 2022, report due date.
Table 1: Expenditure and results data by program
Result HOPE/CRC (CYS) YAHP (YMCA) Total
Active client enrollments 114 71 185
New clients this period 110 71 181
Waitlist (approximate) N/A 41 41
Clients exited 111 3 114
Exits to permanent housing 21 2 23
Family reconciliation (under age 18 at enrollment) 21 N/A 21
Cost per bed $1,274.83 $7,351.97 $8,625.80
Program expenditure $145,330.68 $521,990.02 $667,320.70
ARLINGTON YOUTH CAMPUS AND YOUNG ADULT HOUSING PROGRAM REPORT 6
Table 2: Expenditure data by expense type and subgrantee
Expenditure type CYS (HOPE/CRC) YMCA (YAHP) THA
Administrative costs $17,757.54 $50,466.15 $0
Salaries and benefits $104,577.53 $374,364.97 $0
Program operations $10,445.01 $74,966.67 $0
Rental assistance $0 $0 $0
Support services $643.17 $22192.23 $0
Facility $11,907.43 $0 $0
Program expenditure $145,330.68 $521,990.02 $0
Data sources and methods
Homeless Management Information System
The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is the main data source for measuring the success of
the Arlington Drive Youth Campus. Homeless housing service providers use HMIS to collect and manage data
while providing housing assistance to people experiencing homelessness. Youth and young adult providers
use HMIS to measure instances of returns to homelessness. The indicator for this measurement is an increase
in the percentage of youth who maintain safe and stable housing. Measurements are taken six and 12 months
post-project exit. The Young Adult Housing Program provides up to six months of aftercare to youth who have
recently exited the program. There are currently more than 60 measurements identified within the Youth and
Young Adult Program guidelines. 3
Contract Management System
The Contract Management System (CMS) is a data system used by contract managers within the Department
of Commerce to create, track, and maintain contract and programmatic budget and reimbursement requests.
CMS provided data on program expenditures.
Narrative reports
A collection of narrative reports were used to identify program highlights, challenges, barriers and successes
within a contractual period. The Office of Homeless Youth administers Performance Progress Reports (PPR).
The PPR is a methodology in which programs have an opportunity to speak to experiences within a project that
may not be quantified within the HMIS application. Programs are required to submit a PPR quarterly.
3 Office of Homeless Youth, "Youth and Young Adult Program Guidelines,"
https://deptofcommerce.app.box.com/s/m029gxiq1ohnmej35158l1dyu6f2go6k
ARLINGTON YOUTH CAMPUS AND YOUNG ADULT HOUSING PROGRAM REPORT 7
Success stories
14-year-old youth in protective custody
Community Youth Services supported a 14-year-old male with a learning disability in protective custody placed
at the CRC/HOPE center for 30 days. At the beginning of his stay, staff were informed that he had over 80
missing assignments since the beginning of the school year. For the first couple of days, staff noticed his lack
of concern and negative outlook toward school. No one had advocated for the youth nor made it a requirement
for him to attend classes. After meeting with teachers, he agreed to do an extra assignment or two a day to
catch up, with staff holding him accountable. Toward the end of his stay, one of his assignments was to write
an essay, and he chose to write about his stay at Community Youth Services.
The youth’s teacher shared the essay with the clinical case manager and Community Youth Services' executive
director via email. He stated that staff were irritating because they were always watching; however, he
appreciated being made to attend classes and catch up on his work because that had never happened before.
He stated that now he enjoys school but was concerned with his possible new placement not being as hands-
on and falling behind again. However, he also said he felt he could continue this path and do his schoolwork.
The school counselor stated that she was impressed because he had reduced his assignments by more than
half in 30 days, which put a big smile on his face.
A single mother living out of her car
The Y Social Impact Center (YSIC) housed several households with children who were previously living in their
vehicles. One example included a young adult single mother of two living in her car and struggling with sobriety
due to depression. They were couch surfing while the mother attempted to maintain employment.
Since moving into the Arlington Drive Youth Campus, the mother has provided safety and comfort for herself
and her children. She secured full-time employment and recently received a promotion. The household
consistently works with on-site case management to achieve her goals, enabling her to thrive at work and
maintain sobriety. The interventions for the mother, a young adult, are also helping her children. This family is a
prime example of how this project can support young adults in achieving housing stability, increasing the
chance of stabilizing other areas of their lives.
Collaborations
COVID-19 affected the service delivery of many items. For this report, we will focus on furniture. Youth and
young adults referred to the Young Adult Housing Program (YAHP) project did not own furniture and needed to
acquire it to furnish their new homes. Increased pricing and long delivery waits made furniture acquisition
impossible for this population. The YSIC partnered with a local furniture provider and a local church to supply
households with starter sets of home goods and furnishings. All households were considered chronically
homeless at move-in. Thirty-seven of 42 participated in case management with the on-site YSIC service
provider via the Arlington Case management team or the YMCA Youth Village Organization's LifeSet team.
Tenants access employment resources, on-site medical programming provided by Community Health Care,
and other essential housing needs such as assistance acquiring vital documents, debt reduction and child
care. Additionally, the YSIC partnered with local food banks to provide relief from food instability while
households adjusted to stable housing.
ARLINGTON YOUTH CAMPUS AND YOUNG ADULT HOUSING PROGRAM REPORT 8
Recommendations
In January 2020, Pierce County Human Services reported a deficit of 372 housing units for youth and young
adults. 4 The Arlington Drive Youth Campus has diverted over 1,093 youth and young adults away from
homelessness in Pierce County. 5
Although measurable progress is being made, more work is required. The COVID-19 health crisis presented
this project with various challenges, including increased staff turnover and capacity issues. Despite these
obstacles, the Arlington Drive Youth Campus is a solution to homelessness for young people in the Puget
Sound area.
Sustain funds in state fiscal year 2024. The Office of Homeless Youth recommends that the Legislature
continue to fund this program at $4.25 million per biennium in state general funds for operational costs
to maintain support services for youth and young adults who lack a safe and stable place to stay.
Make funding expenditures flexible through account deposit. The Legislature appropriated $2,125,000
of the general fund, state appropriation for fiscal year 2022, and $2,125,000 of the general fund, state
appropriation for fiscal year 2023. Any funds left unspent after the identified fiscal year will be lost.
Instead, funds should be deposited into Fund 10B - Home Security Account for dedicated use. Funding
this project through 10B would allow any unspent dollars contracted for this project to remain available
for the entirety of the biennium.
4 Pierce County, "Point-In-Time Count," https://www.piercecountywa.gov/4719/Homeless-Point-in-Time-PIT-Count
5 National Alliance to End Homelessness, "Diversion," https://endhomelessness.org/resource/diversionexplainer/
ARLINGTON YOUTH CAMPUS AND YOUNG ADULT HOUSING PROGRAM REPORT 9
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