Pierce County highlights HUD‑funded youth homelessness wins — officials say beds, transportation and childcare remain gaps

Pierce County Council members and county staff on May 7 in Parkland celebrated local gains in youth homelessness work while urging continued investment to close service gaps.

Emil Florezka, a program specialist with Pierce County Human Services, told the council the county received about $3,500,000 through the federal Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) and used those funds to stand up a coordinated, youth‑driven system. The county funded four joint‑component transitional‑to‑rapid‑rehousing projects (Associated Ministries; Harbor Hope Center; Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center; Tacoma Community House/REACH) that together are expected to produce 47 housing units annually — 19 transitional housing units and 28 rapid rehousing units — and to expand supportive services and outreach capacity.

Florezka said the 100‑Day Challenge (Sept. 29, 2025–Jan. 16, 2026) set a goal of preventing 113 youth and young adults from entering homelessness and exceeded it, preventing 171 youth (a roughly 20% decrease in entries for the comparable period). He described the Youth Action Board (YAB), made up of young people with lived experience, as the governing body for YHDP decision‑making and said YAB members helped shape…