Housing program delivers results for Shoreline students experiencing homelessness

Exterior photo of Shoreline College's residence hall.

Photo courtesy Shoreline College

In 2024, when King County’s HOPE program launched at Shoreline College, its aim was both simple and ambitious: to break the cycle of poverty by providing on-campus housing to homeless students as they pursued their college and career goals.

Housing for Post-secondary Education (HOPE) began as a 3-year pilot program, supporting 12 students experiencing housing insecurity. Participation in the pilot was limited to students enrolled in Shoreline College’s Center for Education & Career Opportunities (CECO), a program that provides a supportive, tuition-free environment where young people without a high school diploma can re-engage with education and take the next step in building a career.

Now, two years after its launch, the success of HOPE is clear. Ten of its initial 12 students have completed a high school credential and continued to college, and each of those 10 students has a story of transformation that began when they entered the residence hall.

One of those students* was experiencing homelessness when she joined CECO, but after receiving on-campus housing through HOPE, she was able to earn her GED and complete the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program. She is still in school, completing the prerequisites needed to enter the nursing program while she works as a CNA supporting patients with dementia.

“Living on campus, I got to prioritize my education,” she said. “Before I was kind of drowning. Being at Shoreline allowed me to get my CNA and work in healthcare, which I’ve wanted to do since I was a child.”

Another student joined CECO while her family faced housing instability and eviction notices. Upon turning 18, she was faced with the choice of eviction or assuming the burden of her family’s unpaid back rent. HOPE gave her another option.

After completing her GED, this student moved into the residence hall and went on to earn her associate degree. She is currently completing application materials for the University of Washington and considering a career in social work. While her journey is one of growth and positive momentum, the road wasn’t always smooth.

“At first, I self-sabotaged a little bit,” she said. “I dropped a class. Being a high school dropout, you don’t think you can finish.” But with the support of her CECO case manager and a new home in the residence hall, she was able to navigate those initial challenges.

“Living on campus made it feel possible,” she said. “Having a dorm room, having a desk, going to the library…there’s so much help on campus. Being in a space where everyone is here to learn, it makes you want to do that. I’m so grateful to get an education and to have a place to live while doing it. A degree can change your whole life.”

With more than two decades of experience, CECO Director Guru Dorje knows that, when it comes to breaking the cycle of poverty, the greatest return on investment is access to education and employment. 

But outcomes for even the most motivated students are grim if their most basic needs, like housing, aren’t met. This is what makes the addition of HOPE into the CECO model so impactful.

“Case managers are using it as a barrier-reducing tool for some of our most marginalized students so that they can continue with their education and employment goals,” said Dorje.

“You don’t want people to suffer. You want them to continue finding their meaning, but you need to have a basic material base to do so. This is what we’re doing. And it works.”

The success of the HOPE program makes it clear that, when students have stable housing and access to education and support services, they can accomplish extraordinary things. But there is still much work to be done, and additional resources are needed to expand the number of students served.

Funding for the pilot program came from King County’s Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account (PSTAA), which supports investments that help young people from early childhood through college and career. 

In addition to the initial 12, PSTAA funding has been approved for four more students. However, it is estimated there are still more than 300 young people without a high school diploma experiencing housing insecurity in King County who could benefit from this kind of assistance.

That is why donors like Shoreline resident Ted Andrews have stepped in to provide additional financial backing, and he is hoping that others will join him. Recognizing the importance of combining housing support with education and career training, Ted would like to see these types of opportunities expand because he knows that “there are more youth needing this support.”

Providing relief for students affected by housing insecurity also remains a priority for Jack Kahn, President of Shoreline College, who emphasizes the need to stop viewing housing assistance and higher education as separate budget priorities.

“Through our partnership with King County and the generosity of our donors, we have demonstrated that these issues are deeply connected and must be addressed together,” said President Kahn.

”By providing resources and supportive educational pathways for students experiencing housing insecurity, we are achieving outcomes that genuinely transform lives, and we are committed to expanding these efforts to reach even more members of our community.”

As Shoreline College looks to build on the success of King County’s pilot program, they are creating additional opportunities and new initiatives to support students facing housing insecurity. Anyone interested in contributing to these programs is encouraged to contact the Shoreline College Foundation at sccfoundation@shoreline.edu.

*Students’ names withheld to protect their privacy.