OWL360
Project: Housing Stability & Safety-Net Support for Jefferson County Young People
Request: $15,000
Since 2021, OWL360 has served young people ages 14–25 in Jefferson County who are experiencing homelessness, housing instability, family conflict, poverty, mental health challenges, involvement with foster care or juvenile justice, or disconnection from education and employment.
OWL360 is the county's only organization dedicated exclusively to youth housing and stabilization. Most housing and shelter resources are built for families or older adults, leaving young people without age-appropriate support during the most precarious transition of their lives.
Amazing impact
6,353 youth interactions across all programs. Within the housing program: 33 young people and 3 small children housed across three dwellings, 9,417 bed nights of housing, 2,652 hours of case management. Eighty-two percent of housing program graduates transitioned into permanent, stable housing.
At The Nest, OWL360's youth drop-in resource center: 4,506 visits, 200 young people connected to essential resources, 4,506 health and hygiene supplies distributed, and 631 hours of mental health support provided.
Why the design works
OWL360's approach is intentionally low-barrier and relationship-based. No appointment is required at The Nest. All services are free. Staff work to remove eligibility hurdles rather than add them — the hurdles are usually what stopped a young person from getting help somewhere else.
The Nest is staffed by Peer Allies and Resource Navigators under 30, which is deliberate. Trust and relatability come from people who aren't a system. And beyond a bed, the housing program helps residents build the skills, rental history, credit history and support networks needed to move into permanent independent housing — plus workforce skills, education access and leadership experience.
OWL360 also functions as a connective hub, coordinating with all three school districts, healthcare providers, housing agencies, recovery organizations and local nonprofits. When its housing program is full, staff work with partners like the Help Now Fund so that young people aren't simply left without options.
Here are the problems you can help solve
Jefferson County has one of the highest rates of disconnected youth in Washington State. OWL360's housing waitlist regularly exceeds ten young people. The 2025 Healthy Youth Survey found that 6.6% of Jefferson County 10th graders and 3.5% of 12th graders reported their family lost housing because they could not afford it. On food, 14.8% of 10th graders and 11.6% of 12th graders reported reducing meal sizes or skipping meals because their family lacked resources.
Housing costs continue to rise while demand for youth housing, basic needs and mental health support grows. OWL360 faces ongoing pressure from potential reductions and instability in the federal and state funding streams that support youth services. Housing and case management are labor-intensive and require consistent staffing; as costs rise, flexible community funding becomes increasingly important.
What your donation makes possible
Your gift will help sustain one of the county's most critical youth safety-net resources by ensuring that young people experiencing housing instability have access to safe housing, case management, rental assistance, transportation support, basic needs, and connections to mental health and community services. .
OWL360 anticipates serving approximately 40 young people and family members annually, with a target of at least 80% of housing program graduates moving into permanent, stable housing.
One participant stabilized through OWL360 housing and case management following incarceration, secured work on a fishing vessel in Alaska, and is now building toward long-term self-sufficiency. That's what your gift funds: a realistic pathway toward stability, belonging and independence.
