No one has ever become poor by giving.

Nearly 2,000 youth aged out of Washington’s foster care system between 2021 and 2022; within 12 months, 20% of those youth had experienced homelessness (Department of Children, Youth & Families, n.d.). Washington State’s Department of Social and Health Services data from 2021 shows that 75% of youth experiencing homelessness after exiting foster care were Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) (Noel-Harrison et al., 2024). BIPOC and foster care-involved youth also experience human trafficking at a much higher rate than other youth; the National Foster Youth Institute reports that of child sex trafficking victims, a staggering 60% were in the foster care system at some time (Our Mission - NFYI, n.d.).

One Seattle nonprofit, the Agape House, recognizes that systemic racism has made BIPOC women especially vulnerable to housing instability and sex trafficking, particularly after aging-out of foster care. That’s why the Agape House, a BIPOC-founded and supported agency, aims to disrupt the “foster care to human trafficking pipeline” (Bohn, 2022) through culturally competent supportive services that are tailored specifically to BIPOC women. 

The mission of the Agape House is “offering non-time limited housing to homeless, BIPOC women between the ages of 18-27, especially as they ‘age-out’ of foster care” (“About The Agape House,” 2023). As of 2025, they have provided direct service care to 100 young BIPOC women, including 16 months of transitional living services. In alignment with that mission, the Agape House is preparing to launch a new transitional living program in a more sustainable location in order to support young BIPOC women in staying off the streets and out of sex trafficking.

Structure and Services

This transitional living program will be offered in partnership with YouthCare, a Seattle nonprofit offering the Agape House rental space in their building for the program. This space includes private bedrooms, a full kitchen, community areas, and a bathroom for seven residents. There is an eight bedroom with an en suite bathroom for an overnight resident support person, called a Mother Mentor.  

Founded by Executive Director Kiti Ward, the Agape House maintains a board of six members, a six-member Executive Committee, and a 10-person Advisory Committee. The Board of Directors, headed by the Executive Committee, manages the legal and fiduciary responsibilities of the organization. The Advisory Committee, which includes members with lived experience of homelessness, serves as a sounding board for difficult situations and informs practices and language considerations for the organization. Board and Advisory Committee members are recruited through outreach to local BIPOC and faith-based communities in order to increase awareness and build a support team that is culturally competent and can collaborate together to enhance community services. This mighty team of volunteers, board members, and executive team carries every aspect of the organization, from community outreach to direct client services to promoting and facilitating fundraising events. Volunteers play a key role in preparing the new transitional living rooms to receive residents and, once the program is open, to support residents with self-identified goals in the following areas:

• Permanent housing
• Employment 
• Education 
• Life skills 
• Stem programs and Internships
• Mentorship and peer-counseling
• Total Person, Physical, Spiritual, Emotional, Intellectual, Cultural & Ethnic Awareness, Empowerment