Youth Homelessness Host Home Program

The Room One Host Home Program facilitates matches between youth in need of housing with volunteers who have safe and private rooms to share on a time-limited basis.

Common Questions

Why does the Methow Valley Need a Host Home Program?

We have young people (ages 12-24) who are not safe or stable in their current home environments. Housing options are near-impossible to find and youth shelters are non-existent in our county. Host Homes are a great intervention for rural communities as they are sustainable, cost-effective, and utilize community supports that are already in existence.

What if I'm already hosting a Youth?

If you are already supporting a young person in your home, you can become enrolled in our Host Home Program by going through an amended application process. The youth living with you can also be enrolled into our Youth Homelessness Program so they can receive support, regardless of whether you are in the formal host home program or not. Enrolling formally means we can support you and the youth you are hosting with resources, mentorship, and conflict mediation. It can be difficult to support a teen on your own and we want to be there for you and the young person in your care.

Are Host Homes and Foster Care the same?

No, host homes are not state licensed (though we do register with the State) and do not include the extensive state-level oversight or financial compensation that comes with Foster Homes. Minors who are in state care, either through CPS or the foster care system, are not eligible for our Host Home Program. Hosts are volunteers, rather than state sanctioned, and can end a hosting relationship at any time.

Host Volunteers

Hosts are individuals or families that open up a private room or additional dwelling unit (ADU) to a young person in need of temporary stable housing. They can act as mentors and support, but not parents, to the youth or young adult in their home. Room One offers support, guidance and mediation to Hosts as well as some financial assistance for the extra costs that may come with Hosting. Hosts can choose the preferred ages and duration of stay they are most comfortable hosting.

For more information about how to enroll in our Host Home program please get in touch with Ronda Smeltzer, our Host Home Coordinator at ronda@roomone.org. You can also view our eligibility requirements and application below.

Program Participants

Youth and young adults ages 12-24 experiencing housing instability are eligible to enroll in the Host Home program. Any youth under 18 years old needs to have parent permission to participate. We cannot enroll anyone who is currently in Foster Care or working with CPS. In order to be eligible for the program, the youth would reach out to Carrie Port to talk about their circumstances. Unstable housing can look like:

Couch surfing or staying with friends
Having an unhealthy relationship with a family member in the home
Getting evicted
Living in your car or a place not considered great for shelter
Feeling unsafe in your current living situation

Get in touch with carrie@roomone.org to talk about enrollment.

Please see the following documents for more information about the Room One Host Home Program.

Host Eligibility Check List

Host Home Application

Below you will find the roadmap to our process of both enrolling Host Volunteers and Participants.