Beyond Section 8: Unlocking Every Door to Housing and Stability in Washington State
Updated: 2 days ago
By Giovanne Schachere, CEO, MystiCares Washington
Watch the full training: “Beyond Section 8: Housing Navigation Training for California and Washington Systems,” presented at the Housing California conference. Press play, or read the guide below and come back to it.
For many people, the search for housing help begins and ends with one question:
“How do I get Section 8?”
It is a fair question. It is also the reason so many people miss dozens of programs that could help them much sooner.
At MystiCares, we regularly meet people who were told there are “no resources available.” Almost every time, the truth is different: they were never connected to the right system, never completed the right assessment, or never got referred to the right program. The resource existed. The door was just unmarked.
This guide is written for two audiences at once: people who need housing, and the providers navigating the system on their behalf. If you understand how Washington’s housing and support systems work, and how they are funded, you hold one of the most powerful tools in this work.
What this guide covers
How Coordinated Entry works, and why the assessment is the beginning, not the end
Where emergency help lives outside the housing system
How to “follow the money” to find programs most people never hear about
What Medicaid, behavioral health, Foundational Community Supports and reentry programs can unlock
Why you should apply to every waitlist in every community you would genuinely move to
What to do in the window between an eviction notice and a court date
The federal protection every family in unstable housing should know about
Start with Coordinated Entry, and don’t stop there
If you are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless, one of the most important first steps is completing a Coordinated Entry (CE) assessment.
Every county in Washington that receives federal homelessness funding operates a Coordinated Entry system. Administration varies by county, but the goal is the same:
Assess your housing needs
Prioritize people based on vulnerability and circumstances
Match people to housing and supportive services as funding becomes available
Many people complete the assessment and assume the work is done. It isn’t. After your assessment:
Ask where you are in the process, and ask again in 30 days
Keep your phone number, mailing address and email current with the agency that assessed you
Ask whether additional referrals are available
Write down the date of your assessment, the agency that did it and who to call for updates
Keep advocating for yourself, especially if your situation changes
A missed phone call, an outdated address or an expired assessment can delay opportunities that are right in front of you.
Emergency assistance exists beyond housing programs
Most families apply for rental assistance and stop there. But emergency assistance in Washington extends far beyond a single application. Programs may include:
Emergency rental assistance
Utility assistance, including LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) and water assistance
Local city and county emergency funds
Community Action Agencies
Faith-based assistance and nonprofit emergency grants
Prevention funds designed to stop an eviction before it happens
Counties, cities and nonprofits receive their own separate funding streams. The key is understanding who received the funding and what it can legally be used for. The fastest way to find out who holds emergency funds in your county this month is Washington 2-1-1 (call 2-1-1).
Follow the money
One of the most effective ways to locate assistance is to follow the funding. Resources flow from multiple directions:
Federal → State → County → City → Managed Care Organizations → Foundations → Behavioral Health Agencies → Reentry Programs → Veterans Programs → Disability Programs
Each funding source has different eligibility requirements and serves different populations. When you understand how a program is funded, you understand who qualifies, what documentation is required, what services are covered and where referrals must come from.
Understanding the funding lets you advocate more effectively, for yourself and for the people you serve.
Medicaid covers more than medical care
Many Medicaid recipients don’t realize how many supportive services may be available beyond doctor visits. Depending on eligibility and assessment, people may qualify for:
Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS)
Personal care services and respite care
Care coordination and behavioral health supports
Transportation assistance
Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and specialized waiver programs
These services exist to help people remain safely in their homes and communities, long before a crisis occurs.
Personal care is about independence, not just physical limitation
Many people assume personal care services are only for those who cannot physically move. That isn’t true. Eligibility is based on an assessment of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and other functional needs. Some people qualify because they experience:
Severe depression or anxiety
Psychosis or memory impairment
Brain fog or cognitive limitations
Developmental disabilities
Other conditions that make daily living genuinely difficult
Support might include help with meal preparation, medication reminders, grocery shopping, transportation, attending appointments, household tasks and staying connected to the community. Many people wait until they are in crisis before asking. These services are designed to prevent the crisis.
Behavioral health opens additional doors
People receiving behavioral health services may have access to housing and support opportunities most people never hear about. Depending on the county and eligibility, referrals may connect to:
Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organizations (BH-ASOs)
Recovery support services and Medicaid-funded behavioral health programs
Supported employment and peer support
Crisis stabilization
Community behavioral health providers
Recovery isn’t just counseling. It often includes housing support, employment support, transportation and case management.
Foundational Community Supports (FCS)
Washington’s Foundational Community Supports program provides eligible Medicaid recipients with two services:
Supportive Housing — intensive navigation support to find and keep stable housing
Supported Employment — support to pursue and keep employment goals
Case managers help with locating housing, communicating with landlords, completing applications, resolving barriers and maintaining stability long term. FCS does not pay rent directly, but it provides the intensive support that makes stable housing possible.
Reentry programs: an often-overlooked door
People returning from incarceration often qualify for specialized reentry services, including housing assistance, employment support, behavioral health and substance use treatment, identification and benefits enrollment, and intensive case management.
Many of these programs are funded separately from traditional homelessness systems. Someone told “there’s nothing available” through one door may get a very different answer through another.
Recovery housing and respite programs
If someone is leaving inpatient behavioral health treatment, detox or substance use treatment, homelessness should not automatically be the next step. Washington has recovery housing, respite programs and transitional options that pair temporary housing with case management while people stabilize. They vary by county and availability, and they are consistently underused because people don’t know they exist.
Housing options beyond Section 8
Housing assistance is much broader than Housing Choice Vouchers. People may qualify for:
Affordable housing developments and tax-credit properties
Permanent supportive housing and transitional housing
Rapid rehousing and shared housing
Recovery housing, senior housing and disability housing
Rural housing programs and locally funded affordable housing
Sometimes the fastest path to stability isn’t waiting years for a voucher. It may mean staying open to communities with more housing availability, stronger medical infrastructure, better transportation or additional support systems.
Apply everywhere you would truly live
Here is advice we give often, and it surprises people: don’t apply to one housing authority. Apply to every open waitlist, in every community you would genuinely be willing to move to. Waitlists in smaller cities and counties often move years faster than in Seattle or Tacoma. A few things to know:
Every housing authority runs its own lists (vouchers, public housing, project-based units) and its own opening dates. You can be on many lists at once.
Some lists are lotteries, some are first-come. Read the notice before you apply.
Keep every confirmation number. Update every list when your address, phone or household changes. Most people are removed because mail came back.
Portability: a voucher can usually move with you. If you did not live in that housing authority’s area when you applied, expect to use the voucher there for the first 12 months before you can move it, unless that authority says otherwise.
Ask about preferences: veterans, people with disabilities, families with children, people experiencing homelessness and local residents often move up the list.
We keep a running list of Washington waitlists that are open right now: see what’s open.
Understand the eviction process
Receiving an eviction notice is frightening. But eviction is a legal process with multiple steps before a physical eviction happens, and that time should be used strategically:
Seek legal assistance immediately
Contact emergency assistance programs
Complete Coordinated Entry
Apply for rental assistance
Speak directly with your landlord, in writing
Connect with a housing navigator
Explore mediation if it is available in your county
Washington was the first state to guarantee a lawyer for income-eligible tenants facing eviction. Start at WashingtonLawHelp.org or ask the court clerk how to reach the Eviction Defense Screening Line. The earlier you seek help, the more options you have.
Families should know about McKinney-Vento
Families experiencing homelessness often overlook one of the most important federal education protections available to them. Every school district has a McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance liaison. Students in shelters, motels, doubled-up housing, vehicles or other unstable situations may qualify for:
Transportation to school
School stability and immediate enrollment, even without records
Educational advocacy and school supplies
Connections to community resources
Many parents don’t realize they qualify, especially if their child attends preschool or another district-connected program. Ask the school for the McKinney-Vento liaison by name.
For providers: know the system you are navigating
This information isn’t only for people seeking services. Providers who understand how these systems connect make stronger referrals, coordinate care more effectively and help clients reach resources that would otherwise be missed. No single agency provides every service. Success comes from understanding how the programs work together.
If your organization wants to refer clients or explore a partnership with MystiCares, start on our Partners page.
There is no guaranteed resource, but there is a safety net
One of the most important truths in this work:
No housing program, benefit or funding source is guaranteed.
Every program has eligibility requirements, assessments, documentation standards, funding limits, waitlists and availability that changes over time. The goal is not to rely on one program. The goal is to understand the entire safety net.
Our mission
At MystiCares Adult & Family Services, our mission is to help people navigate these systems, understand their options, advocate for themselves and connect with resources that support long-term stability, not just temporary relief.
Housing stability is rarely achieved through one referral. It is built by understanding every available door and knowing how to unlock it.
Keep learning
Watch the full training on YouTube — the complete Housing California session, with our Washington leadership team and housing experts from across the country.
Members: Mysti’s TV — the Giovanne Show, full trainings and podcast episodes.
Free member learning programs are live: Housing Search Bootcamp, Speak Up: Self-Advocacy and Budgeting for Stability. Joining takes a free member account and about two minutes — see how the programs work.
MystiCares serves individuals and families across Washington State through housing navigation, behavioral health support, reentry services and community-based care.
📞 Call us: 1-800-524-4827 ✉️ help@mysticares.org 🌐 mysticares.org
