Safe Harbor Housing Alliance works to end homelessness in Thurston County by providing rapid, trauma-informed housing assistance to individuals and families in crisis. We are committed to a Housing First approach: getting people into stable housing as quickly as possible, then providing the supportive services they need to stay housed.
Safe Harbor operates a coordinated network of landlord partners, service agencies, and government programs. When a client completes our intake, our housing specialists assess their needs and eligibility for multiple programs simultaneously — including state rapid rehousing funds, federal Emergency Solutions Grant programs, and our own private donor-funded transitional housing units.
We use a privacy-first data model. Client information is stored in an encrypted database and shared with partner agencies only with written client consent. We participate in the Washington HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) only with explicit client permission.
Founded in 2011 by a coalition of South Sound nonprofits, Safe Harbor was created in response to a 23% increase in family homelessness in Thurston County following the 2008 financial crisis. We have since grown from a two-person office to a team of 22, housed more than 3,400 individuals, and expanded our landlord network to over 180 properties across Thurston, Mason, and Lewis counties.