Housing Stability for Youth in Courts (H-SYNC)

Overview

The H-SYNC model was cocreated by Snohomish and Kitsap County multisector workgroups in 2018 and then scaled to four additional counties in Washington state (for a total of six counties). HSYNC is a continuum of care intervention, addressing prevention of housing instability tailored to youth and family needs. The court system is a triage source for identification and referral to non-court navigators and service providers.

Effectiveness

King, Snohomish, Kitsap, and Okanogan Counties implemented the H-SYNC pilot program in collaboration with the UW CoLab and community partners between 2019 and 2022. Multiple studies on the effectiveness of H-SYNC have returned positive results. Youth and families participating in H-SYNC were five times more likely to engage in recommended services. Another study interviewing juvenile probation counselors found that the counselors had a positive view of the program, concluding that H-SYNC was value-added and integrated well with probation systems. Youth participants and juvenile probation counselors both highlighted the housing navigator in a positive way.

Since 2022, the H-SYNC prevention program has been funded by The Washington State Department of Commerce's Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection Programs (OHY) and coordinated by the Y Social Impact Center at the YMCA of Greater Seattle. H-SYNC now represents a state-wide partnership between juvenile courts and local social service providers across counties including King, Snohomish, Pierce, Spokane, Okanogan and Kitsap.

Learn More

Contact the Housing Stability for Youth in Courts Director Sheala Anderson at shealaanderson@seattleymca.org, 206.687.0293.

H-SYNC Toolkit

Click through below to access HSYNC’s program startup toolkit, which includes documents needed to start up a Housing Stability for Youth in Courts (HSYNC) program.

ACCESS THE H-SYNC TOOLKIT

Relevant Publications

Preview image of paper titled Usability of a cross-system housing stability program for juvenile courts: A multimethod study of probation counselor perspectives

Usability of a cross-system housing stability program for juvenile courts: A multimethod study of probation counselor perspectives

Preview image of article titled A Non‑coercive Prevention Cascade Using a Cash‑Plus Model for Legally Involved Youth: a Multi‑method Study of Feasibility, Acceptability, and Engagement Outcomes

A Non-coercive Prevention Cascade Using a Cash-Plus Model for Legally Involved Youth: a Multi-method Study of Feasibility, Acceptability, and Engagement Outcomes

Housing Stability for Youth in Courts: A “cash-plus” model for legally involved youth

Information sheet - Y Social Impact Center at the YMCA of Greater Seattle

H-SYNC Spring 2021 Update

H-SYNC Progress Report (October 2019)

Almquist, L. & Walker, S. (2019, September 20). Courts, Social Services Can Work Together on Housing Instability. Youth Today. Retrieved from https://youthtoday.org/2019/09/courts-social-services-can-work-together-on-housing-instability/

Overview of H-SYNC Model Components

Walker, S., Valencia, E., Bishop, A., Irons, M. & Gertseva, A. (2018). Developing a coordinated youth housing stability program for juvenile courts. Cityscape, 20(3), 117-137.

Walker, S., Valencia, E., & Vick, K. (2018). Report of a Research to Practice Partnership to Develop the Youth Housing Stability Model for Juvenile Courts. Seattle, WA: Center for the Study and Advancement of Justice Effectiveness (SAJE).