Preventing Homelessness Before It Starts.
Based on research about what we know to be effective, United Way of King County’s housing work focuses on stabilizing households at the earliest sign of eviction risk. By allocating dollars strategically and ensuring compliance and accountability across the housing system, we play a critical, connected role in keeping thousands of families in their homes every year.
What We Do
United Way of King County brings partners, funding, and resources together to prevent homelessness before it starts. When families get support from our network before eviction, 93% stay in their homes.
Here’s how we do it:
Connect: We unite community partners, government, and donors to strengthen eviction prevention and housing stability efforts in our region.
Invest: We fund proven strategies and innovative solutions that keep families housed and out of an already overburdened homelessness system.
Advocate: We work with our partners to turn what we learn into policy solutions that expand access to safe, stable housing.
OUR NETWORK’S SERVICES
We deploy funding and offer infrastructure to support services like:
- Rental assistance: Provides short-term financial assistance to keep families housed
- Case management: Connects tenants to jobs, health care, and benefits
- Flexible funding: Covers urgent costs that threaten housing security (like food, utilities, child care, or car repairs)
- Legal support and mediation: Protects tenant rights and resolves disputes
At a Glance
in 2025
2,300 families stayed safely housed through United Way’s coordinated approach
129 youth and young adults secured stable housing with United Way’s flexible funding
$7.58 million invested in our community to support neighbors facing housing instability
100+ community partners mobilized to prevent eviction and strengthen housing stability
Advocacy In Action
Since 2018, we’ve partnered with communities to advance major housing stability reforms across Washington state, including:
HB 1217 (2025)
Washington’s first statewide rent stabilization law, capping annual increases and requiring advance notice for tenants.
Eviction prevention protections (2019-2021)
14-day pay or vacate notices, just cause requirements, and right to counsel for tenants.
Stability supports (2018-2025)
Ban on source-of-income discrimination, capped late fees, and limits on security deposits for tenants.
Youth homelessness
Open Doors Youth Re-Engagement program and HB 5963 expanded post-secondary education support for foster and homeless youth.
Partners
No one does this work alone. Together, we’re building a coordinated response to prevent eviction and promote housing stability.
Our partners include:
Need Help?
If you’re facing eviction or housing instability, help is available. For more information about navigating local services, visit these pages:
Real People. Real Stories.
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Support Our Work
Invest in what works. Make a gift to keep our neighbors housed. Your generosity powers case management, flexible financial support, rental assistance, and legal aid and mediation—stopping evictions before they happen and keeping families safely in their homes.