Homelessness remains one of the most pressing challenges facing communities across America, with Washington state ranking third nationwide for its homeless population. Behind these statistics are real families—mothers, fathers, and children—who find themselves without stable housing due to eviction, job loss, medical crises, or other life-altering circumstances.

For families caught in the cycle of homelessness, transitional housing programs offer a critical lifeline. But what exactly is transitional housing, and how effective is it at breaking the cycle of homelessness?

Understanding Transitional Housing

Transitional housing provides temporary accommodation with supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Unlike emergency shelters, which offer immediate but very short-term relief, transitional housing programs typically allow participants to stay for a longer period while working toward self-sufficiency and permanent housing.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), transitional housing serves as a bridge between crisis and stability. It offers "temporary housing with supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness with the goal of interim stability and support to successfully move to and maintain permanent housing."

What makes transitional housing unique is its comprehensive approach. Beyond simply providing shelter, these programs typically offer:

• Case management services tailored to each family's needs
• Employment assistance and job training
• Financial literacy education and budgeting skills
• Childcare resources and parenting support
• Mental health and substance abuse counseling when needed
• Housing search assistance for permanent placement

This holistic approach addresses not just the immediate housing crisis but the underlying factors that contributed to homelessness in the first place.

The Current Homelessness Crisis

The need for effective solutions like transitional housing has never been more urgent. In Washington state alone, 31,554 people were recorded as experiencing homelessness in 2024, representing a 12.5% increase from the previous year. King County, which includes Seattle, accounts for over half of the state's homeless population, with more than 16,000 people experiencing homelessness.

Even more concerning is the rise in chronic homelessness. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of individuals experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness in Washington increased by a staggering 56%. Washington now has the highest percentage of chronically homeless individuals of any state, with 49% of its homeless population falling into this category. (Source)

The primary driver behind these numbers is clear: housing affordability. The fair market rent for an efficiency apartment in the Seattle-Bellevue area is $2,238. For families working minimum wage jobs, this means needing more than two full-time incomes just to afford housing. When families have debt, medical expenses, disabilities, or childcare needs, the math simply doesn't work.

How Vision House Approaches Transitional Housing

At Vision House, we understand that homelessness is more than just a loss of physical shelter; it also translates to a loss of stability, community, and hope. Our transitional housing program takes a relational and client-led approach that sees families as people, not just numbers or problems to solve.

Our process begins with a thorough assessment of each family's unique needs:

1. Point of Entry: An initial phone call with our entry team includes a comprehensive assessment of the family's situation and needs.
2. Diversion: When appropriate, we use a light-touch approach to help families identify potential solutions to their housing crisis without needing to enter our full transitional housing program.
3. Active Participation List: Families waiting for transitional housing are connected to resources to prepare them for potential program entry, ensuring no time is wasted.
4. Family Program: Our core transitional housing program provides approximately one year of housing with case management and tailored services focused on reaching employment and housing stability.
5. Alumni Program: After graduation, we provide follow-up care and community support to ensure long-term stability and prevent returns to homelessness.

"There is no guidebook to help you navigate all the complexities of homelessness," explains Derek Sciba, Vision House's Executive Director. "Talking to Vision House is about as close as you can get to a GPS to guide you through this process."

The Human Impact of Eviction and Homelessness

While eviction affects each family differently, it universally disrupts and traumatizes. Families experiencing eviction typically face multiple concurrent crises: loss of jobs, relationships, and normalcy, all while living in a state of panic.

When a family is evicted, the financial stress often makes it impossible to hire movers, rent storage, or even pack belongings properly. Many families see their possessions dumped onto the street, regardless of weather conditions. This loss of material goods compounds the psychological trauma of housing instability.

Once evicted, families face additional barriers to regaining stability, such as:

• Debt and back rent that creates ongoing financial burdens.
• Credit scores that suffer, limiting future housing options.
• Landlords that refuse to rent to families with eviction records, further limiting their options.
• Children's education being disrupted, affecting long-term educational outcomes.
• Employment becoming more difficult to maintain without stable housing.

"It's scary to call a landlord or debt collector," says Brianna Baines, Vision House's Family Transitions Director. "But we want them [the family] to know we're with them 100%. We make those calls with them; we go to those meetings and advocate for them."

The Effectiveness of Transitional Housing

Does transitional housing really work? For Vision House, the numbers speak for themselves. Approximately ninety percent of families who complete our transitional housing program successfully move on to permanent housing.

This success rate reflects the comprehensive nature of our approach. Beyond providing shelter, Vision House's Diversion Centers in Renton, Burien and Shoreline offer practical resources like showers, laundry facilities, computers, internet access, and play areas for children. These spaces allow families to meet basic needs while searching for apartments, making phone calls, and sorting through documents.

Research supports the effectiveness of this model. A University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance study found that 55% of tenants facing eviction in January 2024 did not have legal representation. Nonprofits like Vision House provide advocacy and support services to help fill this critical gap.

The impact extends beyond housing stability. Children in transitional housing programs show improved school attendance and performance. Parents report reduced stress and better mental health outcomes. And communities benefit from reduced public costs associated with emergency services, hospitalization, and law enforcement.

Breaking the Cycle Through Comprehensive Support

What makes transitional housing particularly effective at breaking the cycle of homelessness is its focus on addressing root causes rather than symptoms. At Vision House, we see people as individuals with unique stories and needs.

Our mission includes:

• Helping families rebuild credit and financial stability.
• Connecting parents with employment opportunities and job training.
• Ensuring children have educational support and stability.
• Addressing any mental health or substance use challenges.
• Building community connections and support networks.

How You Can Help

The family eviction crisis continues to grow in our community. Last year was a year of enormous need, with Vision House seeing a 34% increase in requests for services. While our Family Transitions team normally sees 10% of their caseload facing eviction, those numbers surged to 40% in 2024.

You can make a difference in the lives of families facing homelessness:

• A $60 donation provides one night of safety for a family.
• A $1,000 donation keeps our Diversion Centers open for one day.

Your support means the world to families in crisis. As Derek Sciba notes, "If someone had another viable option – one more person to call, one more friend to stay with – they wouldn't be calling Vision House."

Together, we can break the cycle of homelessness and ensure that every child has a home.

Make a gift today to support families in need