Health & Well-being

As the Eastside continues to experience growth, our health and well-being infrastructure needs to flex and grow as well. We want to face opportunities before they become problems.

That’s why it is so important that Eastside Foundation proactively supports and provides funding for initiatives that address challenges such homelessness, affordable housing, substance abuse, mental health, and other areas of social services systems that come under pressure.

Eastside Homelessness Programs

Achieve Functional Zero Homelessness

Eastside Foundation supports the goal of Functional Zero Homelessness. That goal is achieved with a coordinated and collaborative support network of outreach, shelter, and supportive services systems that provide quick and easy to access to personal and housing stability.

It is estimated that in greater King County there are more than 16,000 people who are experiencing homelessness. That is an increase of more than 20% in two years, with 60% unsheltered and 40% finding at least temporary shelter.

(KCRHA Point-in-Time report)

Housing & Homeless Data Analysis

Eastside Foundation is working with others to explore the development and deployment of a homeless and housing database with metrics. Such a database provides decision-makers with real-time data to inform targeted programming and funding. A shared database leads to collaboration, innovation, and more efficient and effective services for people in need of shelter and supportive services.

Shelter Application

Eastside Foundation is mapping out the conditions for development of a mobile app that gives people access to shelter-related information about accommodations. The app would also give medical aid providers, outreach workers, faith congregations, law enforcement, businesses, and others a compassionate way to render assistance.

Homelessness Command Center

Eastside Foundation is involved in discussions about the establishment or expansion of a command center for homeless and housing outreach case managers to proactively connect with people in need of shelter and housing, quickly connecting them to critical resources.

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)

Eastside Foundation has worked with neighborhoods, businesses, and services providers to support Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). PSH combines affordable housing along with support services to create a more comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness.

A well-managed PSH program as part of a broader affordable housing strategy, can contribute to a safer and healthier community by providing stability and independence.

Expanding Affordable Housing

The Eastside is experiencing a dramatic rise in housing costs. Eastside Foundation is working with local agencies, developers, and nonprofits to increase the availability of housing at all levels of our community.

Creative solutions are needed to reconfigure existing properties, add new single and multi-family housing, and find innovative financing programs.

Improving Access to Rent Restricted Housing

Eastside Foundation is working to improve the system of connecting qualified renters to rent restricted affordable housing units throughout East King County.

The goal is to reduce the amount of time and effort it takes prospective renters and property managers to go through the vetting process, which means the housing units will be filled more quickly.

Increasing Affordable Housing

Eastside Foundation has partnered with Housing Connector, an agency who is very effective at connecting people experiencing homelessness to successful housing opportunities, to expand their footprint on the Eastside.

Affordable Missing Middle

Eastside Foundation is partnering to help amend land use codes, permitting processes, and Washington state codes that help bring more affordable housing to East King County.